<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>High Fidelity by writeyourownlifestory</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28444875">High Fidelity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyourownlifestory/pseuds/writeyourownlifestory'>writeyourownlifestory</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love, Sex, and Other Ridiculous Things [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Karate Kid (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, M/M, Teenagers, based off a movie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:47:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>45,107</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28444875</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyourownlifestory/pseuds/writeyourownlifestory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Top Five Things Daniel Knew For Sure </p><p>1) He was a loser, but that was going to change soon.<br/>2) Suggesting that he fool around with his best friend as 'practice' could be the best or worst idea he's ever had.<br/>3) He would get his braces off before heading to college, so help him, God.<br/>4) There was nothing a trip to the record store couldn't fix.<br/>5) Prom would a night he would never forget. </p><p>A High Fidelity + The To-Do List AU that nobody asked for!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love, Sex, and Other Ridiculous Things [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210673</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>160</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Top Five Ways To Change Your Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First, I just want to say that if you have glasses and braces, that doesn't make you a loser. I have glasses and I am literally as blind as could be without them. They just fell into those stereotypes. Please don't take it too seriously. </p><p>This story was edited by StoriesOfMyLife, who is truly an angel and deserves to not only meet William Zabka one day but get a big hug from him too!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daniel Larusso was a good looking guy. A handsome fella is what his mother would say. And he liked to think mother always knew best, ya know? He had nice tanned skin and good hair. He was pretty smart, which was good because nowadays you actually need to know what you’re doing to get into college, especially if you don’t have a rich daddy to pay for that kind of stuff and Daniel did not. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Long story short, Daniel had a lot to offer a girl. And yet, he has remained single for about . . . well, he would be eighteen in December, so about seventeen years. Which, of course, was absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>bullshit.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Don’t get him wrong, he understood that the world was big and there were a lot of other people out there, it wasn’t just the girls in Reseda or that went to his high school. There were plenty of other people out in the world. It was just that none of the ones currently in his actual location seemed to look twice at him. That was the issue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And when you don’t actually have the chance to go out and see the world and meet those girls, you kind of just have to work with what you have. And right now, Daniel had nothing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing but a heart filled with love, a dick ready for the touch, and a mouth full of braces. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He tried to tell himself it wasn’t the braces, but let’s face it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>nobody </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanted to make out with somebody with metal in their mouth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least he didn’t have the headgear anymore. That was a nightmare that Daniel had to live through during middle school. Imagine being the new kid in school with a giant headgear? Daniel was honestly surprised he didn’t just strangle himself right then and there. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His mother tried to insist that the girls in his school were just shallow and he deserved somebody that would love him for him, but that didn’t actually make him feel any better. No, the only thing that ever actually got his mind off it was going to the local arcade and blowing his allowance on the games, winning dozens of tickets so he could go home with a prize. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He liked to tell himself it was just for fun and that he wasn’t actually practicing for the day he could bring a girl there and win her something big. No no, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally </span>
  </em>
  <span>wasn’t it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The only bright side to his suffering was that he didn’t actually have to suffer alone. He guessed calling that a bright side was a little insensitive, but misery loves company, right? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny Lawrence was just as much of a loser as Daniel was, if not more. While his own teeth were pearly white without the need of assistance, Johnny’s eyes were broken beyond repair. Poor bastard had needed glasses since he was a kid and since he too was raised by a single mom who didn’t have the best insurance, his eyesight had only worsened over the years.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least until Johnny's mom married a guy with legitimate insurance, then Johnny was able to</span>
  <em>
    <span> finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>get a pair of glasses. The only problem was that he needed the thick, bottlecap kind that had the power to turn even the hottest celebrity into a lameo. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Personally, Daniel liked the glasses. They had a bit of a Buddy Holly feel to them but no one in school actually got that reference. All anybody cared about was New Kids On The Block or Madonna. Nobody had taste anymore. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nobody but him or Johnny anyway. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And if the girls in their school couldn’t see behind Daniel’s braces, then they sure as hell couldn’t see behind Johnny’s glasses, leading the two to become a dynamic duo of pathetic imperfections. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had become friends during their freshman year since alphabetically, they were always together in whatever class they shared. They had been lab partners, gym partners, and pretty much everything else in between. And since they were usually prime targets of bullying, they had become used to sticking up for one another as the two had the same short fuse. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had both wound up in detention a time or two, whether it be sticking up for one another or trying to fight the others' battles. Neither had taken any sort of self-defense glass, but Johnny knew how to throw a punch or two, and thanks to playing peewee soccer, Daniel was one hell of a kicker. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“When are you ever going to get some new shit, Daniel?” Johnny asked as he rummaged through Daniel’s record collection. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was the weekend, which meant they were together. Granted, they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> together, school day or not, but the weekend was a different situation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The weekend was when Johnny’s stepdad would either</span>
  <em>
    <span> a),</span>
  </em>
  <span> be home and make Johnny’s life miserable or </span>
  <em>
    <span>b),</span>
  </em>
  <span> he would take his mom out to the Hamptons, leaving Johnny home alone in that big house of his. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This time around it happened to be option </span>
  <em>
    <span>A</span>
  </em>
  <span>, which meant Johnny was at the Larusso residence. Whenever it happened to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>B</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Daniel would go over to Johnny’s place to be a little less lonely. They would sit in Sid’s home theater and watch movies that haven’t even come out yet—which was awesome and about the only perk that came with Laura marrying such an asshole—though they had to be careful cause if the bastard found out then he’d wring Johnny’s neck for touching his shit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Says the one with his own credit card. You want me to have new shit, buy me new shit.” Daniel commented from where he was laying on his bed, flipping through a comic book. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not your sugar daddy, Larusso.” Johnny scoffed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel gave no response, which he knew would annoy the blond. Their back and forth banter was one of the main reasons they worked so well as friends--they were open, honest to a fault and they weren’t afraid to give each other shit. Johnny pushed and Daniel pushed back just as hard. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>them. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And it </span>
  <em>
    <span>worked</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He heard the sweet sounds of Fleetwood Mac beginning to play and felt the dip in the bed as Johnny joined him. A moment later the comic was removed from his hands as Johnny took it upon himself to flip back to the beginning and start reading it himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Dickhead.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, you’ve read it already.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So have you!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but my memory isn’t as good. Does Superman save the day in this one or does Lex Luther take over?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s one of the original comics, dude. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Obviously,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Superman wins.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously,” Johnny mimics. “It’s Top Five.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel rolled his eyes at the comment, noticing the smirk on Johnny’s face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was Daniel’s thing, making lists of five for just about everything. He had gotten it from his dad, who used to do it as a way for them to bond whenever he was home from work. They’d have </span>
  <em>
    <span>Top 5 Best Family Dinners</span>
  </em>
  <span> or </span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five All In The Family Episodes. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They would go back and forth until the day he got sick and even then they would come up with something good (</span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Best Daniel and Dad Moments</span>
  </em>
  <span>) until the day he passed (</span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Things Daniel Would Miss About Dad</span>
  </em>
  <span>).</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had become a coping mechanism for him, one that had become so second nature to him that he dragged Johnny into it after becoming friends. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had made lists for just about everything. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Comic Books, Top Five Soda Flavors, Top Five Celebrity Crushes. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was their thing. Something they did together that nobody else in the universe would understand. Maybe it was a little dumb, but it was nice having someone to share it with after his father passed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The comic they had been reading was one of Daniel’s favorites, and of course, on the list. It sat at number three, just behind the original X-Men comic and right before Green Lantern. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel sat up, sighing quietly. It was a repetitive day for them--sitting in his room, listening to music, and reading comics. That’s all they </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>did. Sure, sometimes they would go out to the beach or the arcade, but with school, they had been too busy to actually do any of that stuff. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny looked up, pushing his glasses up his nose. “What?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m bored.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then get unbored,” Johnny replied, sounding so much like his mom it made Daniel cringe. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t you tired of doing the same shit every single time we hang out?” Daniel asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t do the same shit,” Johnny countered as he thumbed through the comic book distractedly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel scoffed, rolling gracelessly out of bed, snatching the comic as he went. “We don’t do anything exciting,” Daniel complained as he placed the comic back on his bookshelf, completely ignoring the annoying glare Johnny shot him. “Nothing like the other guys at school do. We don’t go to parties, or go out on dates--”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“--We go to parties!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, ones at the </span>
  <em>
    <span>country club,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Daniel felt compelled to point out. “That your </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom</span>
  </em>
  <span> drags us to,” he added, because Johnny didn’t seem to understand just how dire their situation was. “That you then drag </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> to because, </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>, we don’t go on dates so it’s not like you can bring a girl.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“At least they have booze,” Johnny said with an unbothered shrug.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Champagne doesn’t count.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, it does. It’s alcohol.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not real booze! It’s not beer. We’re not sitting by a fire pit on the beach, drinking beers with girls around us. That’s what the other guys at school do.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny rolled his eyes, unimpressed by the picture that Daniel was painting for him. “So? Those guys are dicks, Daniel. Why would you want to be like them?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because!” Daniel proclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Because that was what high school laws all about right? You were supposed to have fun and enjoy yourself while you were young. Daniel had heard far too many stories from his mother and aunts about how they wasted their lives away by forgetting to enjoy their younger years. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel’s own father died when he was young. He and his mom got married right out of high school and had Daniel as soon as they finished community college. There was no early twenties fun for them since they both had jobs and a kid to take care of. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But his mom would tell him tales about what his dad was like back in high school and all the scandalous things they would get caught up doing together. It wounded  Daniel’s pride to know that even his own </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother</span>
  </em>
  <span> had a wild phase when she was a teen while he was stuck living the life of a loser.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They are living their lives to the fullest. They’re the ones living on the edge. And they’re the ones getting laid.” Daniel lamented to the blond. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Good old lefty isn’t doing it for you?” Johnny asked, making a jerking motion with his hand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel didn’t know what it was that set him off. Maybe it was the calendar across the room with all the big red x’s on it, reminding him how soon school was ending. Maybe it was because he had been caught up in the hallway between some of the popular guys talking about a party on the beach later that night, one both he and Johnny were uninvited to. Maybe it was because lefty isn’t doing it for him and now he has nothing but this pent up repressed sexual frustration. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you really want to enter college a virgin?” Daniel asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny shrugged, adjusting himself to get more comfortable against the pillows. “Doesn’t matter to me. I mean, college girls love virgins, don't they? They can sink their teeth into us or something.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No. </span>
  </em>
  <span>College girls want college guys who know what they are doing.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Since when?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Since ever! My cousin Louie back in Jersey told me all about it. College girls are</span>
  <em>
    <span> wild</span>
  </em>
  <span>, man, and trust me, they don’t want some loser humping them like a fucking chihuahua.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this the same Louie that ate paint chips off the wall?” Johnny asked curiously. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Irrelevant,” Daniel said with a dismissive wave of his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny sighed quietly, propping himself up on an elbow lazily. “School isn’t over yet. I mean, prom is what? A month away? Isn’t that notorious for when people lose their virginities?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel sighed and speaking as he would to one of his younger cousins, he explained, “To have sex on prom night, we would have to</span>
  <em>
    <span> go</span>
  </em>
  <span> to prom. To go to </span>
  <em>
    <span>prom</span>
  </em>
  <span>, we’d have to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>dates</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Dates willing to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>sex--</span>
  </em>
  <span>with </span>
  <em>
    <span>us.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny frowned. “I thought we were going together</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel groaned and threw himself down on the bed next to Johnny. It was a tight fit, but they made it work.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We told your mom that so she would get off our backs about it,” Daniel reminded him, sighing. Do you seriously want to go to prom without a date? All we would do is stand in the corner sulking.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We could still dance,” Johnny said, rolling his eyes, scorching himself over closer to the wall to make room for Daniel.“Not every single song they’re going to play is a ballad, you know.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So we go and</span>
  <em>
    <span> what?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Watch as all the happy couples slow dance?” Daniel scoffed. “I’ll pass.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, what’s your plan then?” Johnny demanded, frustrated. “It’s not like we can get girlfriends overnight. And even if we </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I doubt any of them would be too overjoyed to pop our cherries.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel didn’t like to accept defeat--he was one of those guys that took gym class way too fucking seriously and while he wasn’t on the soccer team, he downright </span>
  <em>
    <span>refused </span>
  </em>
  <span>to let anybody score a goal on him when they played it during class. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> to lose and if he did, he’d be sore about it for </span>
  <em>
    <span>days.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He was bitter and bratty, and even when he had a good friend like Johnny willing to suffer with him, he still wanted more. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I refuse to let that be our fate.” Daniel said decidedly, turning his head on the pillow to find Johnny already watching him, blue eyes magnified by the thick lenses of his glasses. “We’re better than that, John. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Look at us! We’re good looking guys. Smart. We have futures!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“UCLA, man,” Johnny agreed with a nod. “Just a few months away,” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had been a dream come true for Daniel to have gotten in. Of course, he busted his ass to get his grades up so they would even consider him and then wrote a killer essay about his father’s death and being raised by a single mother to get enough scholarships to accept him. Johnny’s step-dad was paying for his tuition but he was still smart enough to get in, which was a big plus. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had it all planned out. They’d both go for business and open up a car dealership or maybe own a lot that sold exclusively vintage models. They weren’t too sure yet, but they would figure it out in school. They would dorm together and everything. It was going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>awesome.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“See? We can make it happen!” Daniel insisted. “We can find dates! Surely there is somebody in school willing to be seen with us on the dance floor.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but what about the sex part?” Johnny pointed out. “Girls don’t usually take too kindly to guys only caring about one thing….”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Girls care about sex, too. My mom warned me about it.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Poor Lucille, wanting to protect her innocent baby boy from the harsh realities of the world. There were party girls who only cared about their own enjoyment and their own bodies who used men selfishly. Daniel had been very careful to ask his mother where these women were located without actually having his ear ripped off and his mom warned him that they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>everywhere. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sex isn’t just about a guy getting off. Girls get into it as much as guys do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay so. We find these girls that wanna get off and then what? It’s not like we know what we’re doing. Neither of us has even kissed a girl.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse</span>
  <em>
    <span> you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’ve kissed a girl, okay.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Christ, Daniel,” Johnny groaned, rubbing at his eyes behind his glasses like he had a headache. “Kissing a girl back in Jersey during a third-grade production of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Snow White</span>
  </em>
  <span> doesn’t count.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, it fucking does,” Daniel huffed, indignant. “It was on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>lips</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it’s been years since you’ve had action Larusso, so how the hell are you going to make up for it?” Johnny demanded, eyebrows raised in challenge.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy,” Daniel said, shrugging. “We practice.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“On </span>
  <em>
    <span>who</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Each other?” Johnny demanded, laughing at the mere suggestion. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That hadn’t been what Daniel was thinking of. When he said practice, he meant like jerking off a bunch of times to work on their stamina or trying to tie a cherry stem with their tongue because word around town was that if you could do that then you could give good head. He hadn’t actually thought of touching another person until the night of. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But if the option was there...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean,” Daniel said hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>work.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny blinked at him, his blue eyes wide behind his glasses. “What?” He said like Daniel was stupid.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We could practice with each other.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny’s mouth was hanging open and he blinked a couple of times behind his glasses, clearly frozen in thought. “But we’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>dudes</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” He stated. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel shrugged, unbothered.“So?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“So?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Johnny repeats, aghast. “So how is practicing with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>guy</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to help us when we’re with girls?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not like we’re gonna go all the way with one another,” Daniel reasoned, chewing on his lip in thought “We just...do enough to know what feels good, and then when we’re actually with a girl, we’ll just take it from there.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny squinted, cocking his head curiously the same way a dog would when they heard a squeaky toy. “I don’t get your logic.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We fool around, all right? Just enough to get good at the shit. And obviously, we’ll be able to know if we’re doing it right because if we’re both enjoying it, then we’re good. If not, then we need to try something else.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And this is going to help us with girls?” Johnny asked, doubt lingering in his tone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously. Jesus, Johnny. You’re really letting that dumb blond stereotype win today.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck you, dude,” Johnny snapped, scowling. “I’m not the one trying to say fucking a guy is the same as fucking a girl.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not fucking!” Daniel exclaimed, throwing his arms out of exasperation and almost smacking Johnny in the process. “We’re just gonna fool around. Get your mind out of the gutter.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>sex</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Daniel! That’s what the gutter is.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel clenched his teeth, keeping himself from groaning once more. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Getting involved with Johnny like this could bring them too close for comfort. Especially since neither of them was actually gay. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>fully.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Daniel was still working out the kinks on that one because he knew he liked girls. That was a fact. But sometimes, he would watch an action film and get a hard-on and while he continued to tell himself it's because the fighting and shit was awesome and awesome shit was a turn on, it usually only happened when Val Kilmer was on screen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or when he’d be watching something with James Spader. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or River Phoenix. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(He had a type, okay? Just don’t tell him that. He had yet to realize that part of himself yet.)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had written out the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Celebrities Daniel Would Get On His Knees</span>
  </em>
  <span> For and the list went as followed:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Princess Diana (literal royalty)</span></li>
<li><span>James Spader (blond adonis) </span></li>
<li><span>Val Kilmer (that jaw line)</span></li>
<li><span>Kelly McGillis (Amish bonnet babe)</span></li>
<li><span>Madonna (obvious)</span></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Regardless of that, Daniel had yet to actually express any of that to Johnny, and right now certainly wasn’t the time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want to end this school year having any regrets, Johnny. There is so much we haven’t done and I’m tired of just sitting around and wasting our lives and waiting around until college.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re sure this will work?” Johnny said, sighing tiredly. “I mean. Two guys fooling around. That’s . . . you know and you’re not….” Johnny gestured to Daniel with his hand, the words refusing to leave his tongue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel shook his head, refusing to overthink this too much. “It’s science, man. You tell me what feels good, I tell you what feels good. Easy as pi!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pi is like a billion numbers. That’s not even remotely easy.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god, Johnny!” Daniel groaned, covering his face with his hands. His voice was muffled when he said. “Look, we'll make a list, okay? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Things We Want To Do Before School Ends.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We barely have a month to complete it,” Johnny reminded him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny had a point. Normally when they made their list, it wasn’t actually something they had to go out and it. It was just a talking point. Five of their favorite things were based on whatever their topic was. Never had they been bold enough to make a check-off list, especially one that required they get it all done in such a short span of time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, Daniel Larusso wasn’t one to turn down a challenge. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I guess we’ll have to put the work in,” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine!” Johnny said, throwing his hands up. “I’m in. But,” he added, tone warning. “If you leave a mark and my mom sees, I’m telling her it was your idea!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It should have been a triumph for him and in reality, it was. All they had to do now was gain enough conviction to actually take everything they would learn and put it towards the girls in their school. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Top Five Ways To Advance A Friendship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Shout out to StoriesOfMyLife for taking the time out of their busy life to beta this! They deserve the world and many WZ hugs!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Fooling around was a good idea in theory.  A </span>
  <em>
    <span>great </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea Actually being able to do something other than jerk off in the middle of the night or the shower was a fantastic idea and Daniel was downright giddy to start. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The only issue was he had no actual idea of how to start. It wasn’t like he and Johnny could just jump right into it. They had to strategize this shit. Making a list of things they had to cross off seemed a bit tedious in retrospect, but it kept everything organized and allowed them to be on the same page about this. They could cross off the things they were uncomfortable with and focus on everything they actually wanted to do. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They started the following day since Daniel’s mom had come back that Saturday and the last thing either of them needed was his mom coming in while they were discussing what kind of kinks they would be into. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So how far are we going here?” Johnny asked as they settled back in Daniel’s bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had a notepad at the ready, each prepared to write down their lists. The First would be the sexual activities the two felt comfortable doing with each other and the second would be their Top Five. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, making out, obviously,” Daniel said, ticking the suggestion out on his fingers. “Kissing, touching, hickeys,” he shrugged. “Whatever you want to do with a chick, we’ll just do to each other.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I already told you that you’re not leaving a mark on me,” Johnny reminded him, lifting his head from the notebook. “My mom would flip if she saw it. So would yours.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we mark where nobody would see,” Daniel replied, rolling his eyes as if the answer was as clear as day. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What about jerking off?” The blond inquiries patiently. “It’s not like girls have dicks. It wouldn’t even be the same hand movements.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, but it would at least give our hands something to do.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny sighed quietly, writing the words down before he tossed the notebook at Daniel’s feet, who picked it up and started pursuing what they had come up with. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny’s handwriting was neat and gentle and Daniel silently marveled at the slow swoop of the curved letters, the perfect dots he had on his I’s, the loopy way he crossed his T’s, each word sculpted and smooth, perfect and plain like he was reading out of a textbook. It was annoying, really, as Daniel’s own handwriting was just a little bit sloppy because he did everything so fast. He walked fast, he talked fast, and he hoped to </span>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span> that’s where it ended because if he ended up doing anything else fast, his chances of enjoying his prom night would be over</span>
  <em>
    <span> real </span>
  </em>
  <span>quick. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re sure you want to do this?” Johnny asked from his spot on the bed, looking a little less than pleased by what they were planning. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That was a real punch to the gut, forcing Daniel to reevaluate everything he had been thinking about for the past twenty-four hours. “Well jeez, John. Don’t get </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> excited,” Daniel said dryly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The last thing he wanted to do was force his best friend into a situation he was uncomfortable in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny pushed himself to sit upon the bed, taking his glasses off so he could rub behind his tired eyes. He had mentioned that his stepdad gave him shit when he returned home the night before. The reasoning for his outburst was still unknown, but when it came to Sid, it could have been anything. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No matter what Johnny did, it was never enough for the man. He was too blind, too weak, too pathetic. Johnny had asked to take karate a while back and the bastard just laughed in his face, but rather than pushing forward and proving his stepdad wrong, Johnny accepted the critic of being a punching bag and gave up on the idea. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They worked out together to stay fit and to be able to put up a good fight when the jackasses at their school started to shit, but they had both wound up with a bloody nose or black eye at least once a year. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that,” Johnny explained. “What if we suck? Like, what if we’re doing all this and we still end up being huge disappointments?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what practice is for,” Daniel insisted. “Practice makes perfect, right?” He pushed off the floor then, going to sit beside him on the bed. Johnny replaced his glasses quickly, giving him the chance to actually see Daniel’s face despite being a foot apart. “We’ve always been honest with each other, right? Remember when you wouldn’t let me go to school with those camo pants because you said I was a walking disaster?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny snorted out a laugh at the memory.“And the jorts,” He reminded him. “Why do you always have to wear jorts, Daniel?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Jorts are coming back whether you want to admit it or not,” Daniel said with a sniff before adding, “Besides, </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> fashion sense isn’t any better. You still dress like a prep trying to blend in with the rich kids.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> a rich kid.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“On the outside maybe. On the inside, you’re just a big dork like the rest of us.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Rich people can be dorks. Stan Lee is the biggest dork ever and he’s like, the richest guy around.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re getting off-topic, John.” Daniel lifted the notebook, holding the front back and folding it in so he could hold it flat and point to the list. “This list is going to save our skin when we’re finally dealing with the real thing. Now, if you’re really that iffy about it, we’ll call the whole thing off.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I just don’t want to make this bad for either of us,” Johnny admitted, the big blue eyes sad and dim behind his glasses. “I don’t want you to regret doing this.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel personally didn’t understand his concern. He didn’t expect either of them to be that great. After all, Johnny hasn’t kissed anybody ever and the last time Daniel did was during a play when he was just a kid. They were literally scraping the bottom of the barrel with this, but they had to start somewhere. If they were bad, then they would be bad together and could maybe work their way up to not-so-bad. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel, taking pity on him placed his hand on Johnny’s shoulder and rubbed it gently in an attempt to comfort him. “It’s gonna be fine, John. We’re best friends, right? If there is anybody in this world we should be comfortable doing this with, it should be each other.” Daniel insisted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny had been his ride or die since he had moved from Jersey. It was an unlikely friendship that had only become stronger as the years went by and if there was anybody Daniel could trust in this universe, it was Johnny.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel focused on his own notepad, the ink bleeding through the pages because of how heavy and quick he wrote his words: </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Things To Do Before School Ends </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Get Laid </span></li>
<li><span>Go To A Party </span></li>
<li><span>Do Something Scandalous </span></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel hummed softly, biting the end of his pen as he thought about how to finish. They didn’t have much time left in the school year, so it wasn’t like they had a lot of options. If they wanted to complete any of this, they’d have to get a move on. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Get Laid </span></li>
<li><span>Go To A Party </span></li>
<li><span>Do Something Scandalous </span></li>
<li><span>Get High </span></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>These were things Daniel had never done before but wanted to do, right? Life experiences he wanted to have before kissing high school goodbye. Daniel knew the chances of him doing it all were slim, but he would take the chance, you know? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Get Laid (the big O)</span></li>
<li><span>Go To A Party (a real one!)</span></li>
<li><span>Do Something Scandalous (law breaking) </span></li>
<li><span>Get High (real shit -- not just what Louie gives him to get the edge off)</span></li>
<li><span>Be Seen (self-explanatory) </span></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“All right. I think I’m done.” Daniel admitted, passing his notepad over to Johnny, who looked it over with an indescribable expression. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“An </span>
  <em>
    <span>orgasm</span>
  </em>
  <span> is your number one?” He asked, bright blue eyes shining with amusement when they met Daniel’s over the notebook... </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Even if we don’t go all the way by prom night, I’d at least be able to get off without using my hand,” Daniel grumbled, reaching over to snatch the notebook back, but Johnny evaded him easily. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is going to invite </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span> to a party?” Johnny demanded with an incredulous snort. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Daniel said with a shrug, but he could feel the flush on his cheeks and he fought the urge to try and make another attempt to snatch the notebook back“Somebody. Anybody so long as it’s an actual high school party with a keg and coolers and not some fancy shin-dig you drag me to.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny was quiet for a moment, narrowing his eyes at one of the numbers. He shook his head, passing the notepad back to Daniel, who took it back and tucked it underneath a pile of dirty laundry next to his bed, where, hopefully, no one else would find it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sid might have some weed I could steal,” Johnny said casually, after a moment of silence. “I’ll check over the weekend.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Now</span>
  <em>
    <span> that’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>what I’m talking about.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, going to close his notebook, choosing, Daniel noted, not to share his own list. “So. Are we fooling around or what?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s just try. If either of us ends up feeling weird or uncomfortable, we’ll call it all off, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny was quiet for a moment, his fingers twisting and interlocking with one another before he finally broke them apart, placing them on the sides of the bed. “Right. Okay. Let’s do this.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then they sat there, neither knowing where to start. Daniel was only now realizing how awkward this would be for them. They had been best friends for the past four years and not once had Daniel ever thought of Johnny like this. Yeah, he knew the guy was handsome but that was his buddy and you don't just go around checking out your buddy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not to mention he was still strutting around down with a mouth full of metal. What the hell was he supposed to do? When it came to Johnny’s glasses, he could take those off and pretend like he didn’t need them. There was no avoiding the braces, meaning that even if they</span>
  <em>
    <span> didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>completely suck at this, he’d still have to work extra hard to not cut Johnny’s tongue or bump his braces against Johnny’s own teeth, or scratch his lip. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I feel like I should apologize ahead of time,” Daniel said with a small, sheepish smile. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I brushed my teeth before coming over,” Johnny blurted out suddenly, pale cheeks flushing a rosy pink.“And flossed,” He added with a nervous chuckle. “Used mouth wash.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I did, too,” Daniel confessed, rubbing the back of his neck just for something to do with his hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then they continued to sit there like a couple of lame ducks. Neither making the first move, both overthinking it to the point where it was beginning to get a little ridiculous. Finally, Daniel cracked, shifting on the bed until he was kneeling in front of Johnny. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“All right,” Daniel said, determined. “Enough of this.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching out, he took Johnny’s glasses off his face, going to place them on the nightstand beside them. Johnny blinked up at him. Blinking and squinting as he tried his best to see despite the small distance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hesitantly, Daniel cupped Johnny’s face, tilting it so his head was cocked slightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> “Eyes closed,” Daniel ordered softly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny did as he was told and losing his eyes, Daniel counted to three before leaning in to kiss him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t some groundbreaking moment with fireworks and the sound of some beautiful rock ballad playing in their heads. It was a kiss with closed mouths and pressed lips and it was...fine. A little too calculated, maybe even a little too forced, but it wasn’t complete garbage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Daniel pulled away, Johnny opened his eyes, his cheeks turning a gentle pink as their eyes met. “So?” Daniel asked him curiously. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny shrugged. “I mean. I’d give it a B.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>B</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Daniel demanded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, you sort of held my head at a weird angle.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel scoffed, moving off the bed and going to stand in front of Johnny with his hands on his hips. “You have to cock your head to kiss. You can’t both be staring right, that’s not how kissing works.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I don’t think you need a fucking thirty-degree angle to make it work.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re so good at it, then you take charge, math-man,” Daniel huffed, crossing his arms</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Who the fuck is math-man?” Johnny demanded, throwing his hands up in exasperation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel opened his mouth to argue, but rather than give him the chance, Johnny pushed off the bed and stood before him. Johnny had always been the taller of the two, broader. Bigger. Daniel wondered if he was bigger in </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> places, but he was too focused on what was at hand to let that thought linger too long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of turning his head this way and that like Daniel had done to him, Johnny cupped his cheek gently, thumb smoothing over the curve of his cheekbone, and Daniel couldn't help but lean into the touch, entranced and that was all Johnny needed. Closing the space between them, his lips brushed against Daniel’s softly, hesitantly and he allowed himself to relax into it, eyes fluttering closed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was slower this time, gentle, nothing more than just a tentative brushing of the lips, but it was far better than their first attempt. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Johnny pulled back, he was squinting. Turning around, he grabbed his glasses so he could see Daniel’s face and the brunet was thankful that he was tan enough to be able to hide any impending blush that could have come across his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel cleared his throat, shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to play it cool. “It was good.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Johnny asked, his brow perking up curiously. “Good enough to try again?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do or do not, there is no try,” Daniel replied, earning a groan in response. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, don’t quote fucking Yoda while we’re making out.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not making out, Johnny. We’re kissing. There is a huge difference.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny didn’t give an audible reply. He merely glared, showing enough emotion through his bottle capped eyes and Daniel took the hint. He let Johnny kiss him again, and then again, just to get the hang of it. He still focused too hard on hiding his teeth, kissing with his lips closed at all points and while it wasn’t the most enjoyable sensation, just feelings Johnny’s lips against his own were enough to make him feel a decent spark of...</span>
  <em>
    <span>something.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t really know what to expect to be completely honest. The thought of kissing Johnny had never crossed his mind until now. But then again, kissing wasn’t something Daniel necessarily thought of often. Sure, he thought of sex but what young guy didn’t? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he thought about getting laid, he wasn’t so much focusing on the foreplay or the kissing, but rather his lower region and all the pleasure that would come from someone touching him other than himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They carried on kissing until Daniel heard the door open, signaling his mom was home. Not ready for her to walk in on any of this, they called it a day, with Johnny deciding to take his leave since he hadn’t gotten any of his homework finished just yet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He said hello to Lucille, sticking around for a quick chat, throwing a promise to catch up with Daniel at school before he headed out the front door. And Daniel, who hadn’t done any of his homework either since this one specific thing had been on his mind since Johnny agreed to do it, watched him go before going back to his room to begin his work.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He did everything he could to focus on the subtext that his English teacher had urged him to find from their latest reading material rather than the memory of Johnny’s lips on his and the scent of Eternity that still lingered around him. Daniel went to bed feeling buzzed and a little bit hazy, not realizing his world around him had shifted ever so slightly. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woooo! How are feeling Cobra Kai nation??? I finished season 3 and by God, I will never get over seeing Billy in that white jacket!!!</p>
<p>So, apologies to anyone who expected this to be a full-blown High Fidelity AU! In reality, the only connection they have in common is the top-five list thing. Maybe someday I will write an actual au! Until then, please tell me what you thought down below!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Top Five Ways To Be Fashion Forward</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you again to StoriesOfMyLife for taking this fic and turning it into something actually readable.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daniel still rode his bike despite having his license for the past year. He was saving up for a car, hoping to actually be able to drive to school rather than having to take the bus like previously planned. He had a feeling deep in his gut that his mom was planning on giving him a car as a graduation gift, probably one that was second hand and barely running, but it would be his and he could fix it up the way he wanted to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, Johnny had a car, a gorgeous red convertible that looked like something out of a James Dean movie and drove like a dream. It was the kind of car that didn’t deserve Johnny--who didn’t even hold the steering wheel correctly--behind the wheel. At least, in Daniel’s opinion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(Even if Johnny did look </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind</span>
  </em>
  <span> of cool and unbothered, dangling his left wrist over the steering wheel, right hand wrapped around the gear shift in a loose grip, the effect was still ruined by the giant mathlete glasses and dorky looking sweaters he was prone to wearing).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, my mom and stepdad are ditching me tonight,” Johnny said as they pulled into the parking lot of the school. He always parked a little further back from the other seniors, which was a shame because the car deserved to be upfront where everyone could see it. However, he knew better than to put himself in the limelight, especially when the other rich and popular kids were pulling into the spots at full speed, with little to no regard for anything or anyone around them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was just safer for himself and the car to stay a little out of sight, even if it meant that they had to walk a bit more to get to school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does this mean you want to mooch off my mom for dinner?” Daniel asked playfully from his spot in the passenger seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a well-known fact that Lucille loved to cook and enjoyed feeding people. Since Laura wasn’t much of a chef in her own home, she insisted on sending Johnny home with a plate nearly every night and it was routine Daniel was sure she’d continue, even when they were away at college. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I was wondering if you want to go to the mall?” Johnny asked, cutting the engine and twisting the keyring onto his finger. “As an apology, my mom gave me a gift card to one of the stores there. I figured we’d go check it out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean you’re finally letting me help you pick out a new wardrobe?” Daniel asked, possibly a little bit too excitedly, if Johnny’s raised eyebrow was an indication. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Daniel ignored him, surveying his outfit instead, and while it wasn’t bad---- a simple blue shirt tucked into jeans--he sort of ruined it by adding a dorky sweater vest with a weird, swirly pattern that was making Daniel dizzy the longer he looked at it. He was sure the outfit would look great for a professor or librarian, but for a senior in high school, he was just asking to be shoved into a locker.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is J Crew!” Johnny pointed out like that made a difference. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And maybe, to some people, it did, but to Daniel--who’s own wardrobe consisted of hand-me-downs from family or the local second-hand shop--it just sounded stupid. Ugly was ugly, regardless of who’s name was on the label. And Johnny’s sweater vest, J. Crew or not, was </span>
  <em>
    <span>ugly. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you say you wanted to branch out a bit more? Some band tees or Levis?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny’s mom shopped exclusively at designer stores like J Crew, Calvin Klein, Polo--places where Daniel couldn’t even afford to use the bathroom in--and even with labels like that on his clothes, Johnny still somehow managed to look like a dweeb.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny bit his lip consideringly, his fingers drumming on the wheel as he turned to glance at Daniel. “My Metallica shirt is getting kind of worn out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See? I’m sure we’d be able to find you something there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Johnny sighed, and Daniel bit back an excited whoop. “But,” he added, pointing a finger in warning, “if you pick out anything with clashing colors, I’m driving home without you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel rolled his eyes, reaching into the backseat to grab their backpacks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, because clashing colors is my biggest concern with your clothes,” Daniel muttered, ignoring the glare Johnny shot him as he climbed out of the passenger seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn’t have every single class together, which was a bummer, but they were lucky enough to have the first period and lunch, which was a godsend since Daniel was sure if he didn’t have Johnny with him, he would wind up eating alone or worse, skipping lunch all together since there was nobody else that would give him the time of day that period. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first period was English, a class they were both pretty good at. They read enough comics to be able to take on real novels. They would never cheat when it came to testing, but more often than not, when they had to write their essays or go over different theories for why an author chose to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> or </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>with a story, they would usually wind up writing for each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It worked out best that way and their teacher had yet to catch them, so they would continue to do it for as long as they could. After that, they would go their separate ways for several periods. Daniel would skim through Science, History, and Art before finally meeting back up in the lunchroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had their own chosen table, off in the corner where they were (mostly) ignored. A majority of the popular kids shared the same lunch period and while they would sometimes get caught up with them in the lunch line, they were usually left alone. Watching dickheads like Dutch or Jimmy walk by with their girlfriends on their arms, who were far too good for the meatheads, was a bit painful but Daniel didn’t care too much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They would have their turn at the whole ‘cool guy sitting at the lunch table with his girlfriend’ one day. Maybe not by the end of this year, since the school was coming to a close, but in college, where the girls would be hotter and the lunch would be better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remind me again why we don’t bring lunch from home?” Johnny grumbled as they rummaged through whatever their school thought a sloppy joe was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because my mom is too busy and your mom doesn’t cook,” Daniel answered absently, not taking his eyes off the table across the lunchroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the cheerleader table, filled with the most popular girls in the school. Most of them were actually pretty nice or at least they wouldn’t get totally disgusted whenever Daniel would speak to them during class or in the hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One girl, in particular, Ali, had been (for a lack of a better phrase) the object of Daniel’s affection for the longest time. In fact, he had a list dedicated just to her: </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Favorite Things About Ali Fucking Mills </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>She’s Kind (even though half the student body forgets Daniel exist, Ali had always been nice to him since he moved to town)</span></li>
<li><span>She’s Gorgeous (blonde hair, blue eyes -- Daniel’s type to the max)</span></li>
<li><span>She’s Smart (literally wants to become a doctor)</span></li>
<li><span>She Speaks Her Mind (doesn’t let Dutch or the other jerks walk all over her)</span></li>
<li><span>She Knows What Star Wars Is (self-explanatory) </span></li>
</ol><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apparently, back before Daniel had come to California, she and Johnny had been good friends, but when high school came around and her popularity grew, they became more distant. She was still nice to him, even inviting him out now and then, but Johnny never took her up on the offer, knowing it wouldn’t end well based on her own social circle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I heard she’s single,” Johnny offered lamely beside him, looking down at his plate as he continued to swirl his fork around his sorry excuse of lunch meat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? The college football star wasn’t enough to keep her entertained?” Daniel asked, trying and failing, he was sure, to keep the eagerness out of his voice. He felt bad about being happy at the thought of her being single, but this was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ali Mills, </span>
  </em>
  <span>who wouldn’t be excited?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t know. Just something I overheard in French class,” The blond said with a disinterested shrug, before demanding, “Dude, will you stop staring? You’re going to get caught and I’m really not in the mood for Dutch to throw our lunches on the floor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Again</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you used to be friends with him,” Daniel muttered, but he conceded, taking a stab at one of the sad-looking fries on his plate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He remembered Johnny telling him all about his middle school friends. How he had been cool with most of the other rich kids and went to a handful of their birthday parties. He had originally been in the same social circle as Dutch and Jimmy, as well as their other friends. One, in particular, Bobby, was still a good guy and didn’t cause them any trouble and whenever the others acted like jerks, he and another guy, Tommy, would try to get them to knock it off, but they went down different paths during high school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all joined the karate dojo in town, leaving Johnny behind to work on their kicks and punches and chi, while Johnny focused on his schooling and trying to stay out of trouble. It didn’t always work, since the same guys that used to call Johnny their friend usually started the trouble, but for the most part, they were pretty invisible unless they put themselves in the same space as the others. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Daniel had a Top Five list for any of those guys, it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s A Dick”</span>
  </em>
  <span> written as 1-5. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was before I went blind.” Johnny countered, his lips quirking up in a smirk as he took another bite of his meal. Swallowing it down, he shoved the tray away from him. “Okay. I admit defeat. We’ll grab McDonald's on the way to the mall.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you were a college football star, where would you shop?” Daniel asked suddenly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The university gift shop,” Johnny answered smoothly, standing up so he could take both his and Daniel’s tray away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel whined, reaching out to keep his since he had a higher tolerance for terrible food, but Johnny didn’t relent, stacking it on top of his own tray as he walked towards the trash cans. Daniel leaned back in his seat in defeat, glancing once more over to Ali, who was caught up in a conversation with her own friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He only looked away when a hand waved in front of his face and he shoved it away with a grumble as Johnny plopped down beside him, smirking. “Now I know who you’ll be thinking about when we’re in bed together.” He said, and while his words were teasing, Daniel could see the tenseness in his smile and the way his foot was tapping under the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny only tapped his foot when he was anxious. It was a tick of his, one that had originally started by bouncing his knee through his stepdad was quick to knock that out of him. He transitioned into something a little less noticeable, which was tapping or shaking his foot. He tended to do it during high-stress situations, like during an exam or dinner with his folks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very funny,” Daniel said with a roll of his eyes. “We haven’t even been in bed together yet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yet,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Johnny echoed, his own eyes drifting over to where Ali was laughing along with the rest of her friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their view was cut off by Dutch, who was walking by with Jimmy, and Daniel groaned inwardly as he knew what was coming their way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Lawrence! Keep your four eyes off the chicks. They’re only interested in guys with dicks.” He said, laughing alongside Jimmy like it was the funniest joke in the entire world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So they’re accepting microdisks now? Congrats, Dutch! You finally made it to the big league!” Johnny quipped, beating Daniel to the punch to say something. Daniel smirked, bumping his fist against Johnny’s in good measure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dutch, on the other hand, didn’t take it too kindly and shook his fist as his face turned red. “Watch it, four-eyes or you’ll be joining metal-mouth here after I punch your teeth out.” He warned, leaving as the bell rang. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two gathered their things, shuffling out of the lunchroom and heading to their next class. “You’d think they would come up with a different nickname.” Johnny pondered as they walked through the hall. “Surely there has to be something other than four-eyes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the only person in the history of being bullied who wants their bullies to be more clever with their bullying.” Daniel chuckled, pausing by his locker to switch out his books.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If they’re going to take time out of my day to be assholes they might as well put legitimate effort into it,” Johnny said as he leaned against the locker next to Daniel’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, right. It would be considerate.” Daniel murmured, pausing in his struggle to shove his books into his backpack to glance back over to Johnny, who was watching him with blatant amusement. “At least they see you. I’m basically invisible to everybody in this school.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not everybody,” Johnny corrected gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are we doing anything after the mall?” Daniel grunted, pulling one of the heavier textbooks out of the way and placing it on the bottom level of the locker. “Maybe we could go back to your place afterward, we could get rid of some of your less savory pieces.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Says the one who wears the same football jersey again and again,” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel pulled his head out of the confines of his locker to shoot the blond a glare. “It’s a classic. Show it some respect,” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you’ll let me buy you something new this time around? I can’t be the only one getting spoiled.” Johnny suggested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see,” Daniel mused, swearing as the warning bell rang overhead. He sprung upwards, slamming his locker closed in response. “I gotta jet. I’ll see you in the parking lot, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Same time, same place,” Johnny confirmed before he turned on his heel, heading to his next class.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the school day went by perusal. They learned things they will never actually need to know while glazing over actual helpful information that the American school system didn’t think they’d be interested in learning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel took down notes and worked on homework for one class while in another. By the time the final bell rang out, he was ready to get the hell out of there, crossing off another day on the calendar as he continued to count down until he was finally finished with this place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew some people spent the best years of their lives in high school, but Daniel could proudly say he was not one of those lucky folk. This place was full of harsh suffering and even harsher reality checks every day. College couldn’t come fast enough. Would it be all sunshine and rainbows? Probably not, but at least it couldn’t be this hell hole, filled with rich jerks with silver spoons in their mouths. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny was in the car waiting for him, reading the book they had been writing about for English class. Their final essay would be due sometime next week and while they hadn’t gotten a chance to actually start it, Daniel had a good idea of what he was going to do for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pulling out of the parking lot, Johnny brought them right to the mall (stopping to get McDonald's on the way since they were both practically starving) where he not-so-eagerly, but willingly allowed Daniel to bring him into the store so they could pick out a new wardrobe for him. Daniel didn’t plan on replacing everything, but some new items would do the guy some good. Something that didn’t look like a grandfather would wear in his spare time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel thought about everything he saw in school and in the magazines his mother would read while getting her hair done. Denim jackets and blazers were in, and while you could always go with some wild colored windbreaker, Daniel figured they could both work well with some muted tones. Bring out their natural skin tones rather than bring complete eyesores the entire time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>White button-downs always did the trick, especially when paired with some kind of accessories like a hat or colorful tie. Daniel was notorious for tucking in his shirts and he tried multiple times to get Johnny to do the same while in the dressing room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re eager to get your hand down my pants, but I think I can handle this.” Johnny insisted, pushing the other boy away as he went to tuck in the shirt Daniel had chosen for him. “Did you find anything for yourself?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re here to look for you, John. Besides, we don’t even know how much you have on your gift card.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny snorted, glancing over to the dark-haired boy. “My mom gave it to me. There will be enough,” He reassured, checking himself out in the mirror. “It’s good. Let’s just get it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you sound bored while on a shopping spree?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shopping is your thing, Larusso. I’m just your Ken doll, remember?” Johnny asked, coming back out from the curtain. “We’ll get this and whatever else you find.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Try on one more thing,” Daniel requested, holding up the jacket to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny rolled his eyes, taking it from his hands. It was denim, plain light blue with no real design to it, and rather than pulling it on, Johnny merely draped it over his arm and walked out of the dressing room, forcing Daniel to follow along with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel did wind up finding a few things for himself and after raising his blood pressure looking at the price tag, Johnny took it all up to the counter to go pay. The gift card was about three hundred, which only paid for a small portion of the collection they came up with. Johnny swiped dear old step daddy's credit card for the rest and with their bags in hand, they left the mall and went back to Johnny’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blond watched from his bed as Daniel began to toss away all the things in his closet he didn’t approve of--sweaters that have seen better days, ugly pants that didn’t flatter Johnny in the least--making a nice donation pile, leaving enough room in his closet for the new items he had purchased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t get the big deal. They’re just clothes,” Johnny commented, running his fingers along with the pattern of one of the shirts Daniel had picked out for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Clothes make the man, dude.” Daniel insisted. “I’m telling you. Wear this tomorrow and do something cool with your hair and you’ll have the chicks eating out of your hands.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, moving to place the shirt into the closet alongside the rest of the things he purchased. He seemed unimpressed with the idea of dressing up for school while Daniel was ecstatic over the possibility of being able to wear something other than hand-me-downs for once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel turned back to see Johnny sitting there, watching him. He made his way across the room, leaving behind the walk-in closet that Johnny had, and went to stand at the edge of the bed. His own was nothing more than a twin that he had to squeeze into every night, while Johnny was working with a California king that was just too big for one person to stay in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When are your mom and Sid coming home?” He asked curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sid wouldn’t bother coming to check on Johnny if he came home suddenly, but Laura was a loving and devoted mother, so she’d be in his room in moments, ready to ask about his day and tell him all about hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mom left a note on the counter saying they were having dinner with Sid’s accountant. Usually, that means they’ll be home late.” He shrugged, trying to be uncaring but Daniel saw right through him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were very few things Johnny took to heart and one of them happened to be the way his stepdad just disregarded him so easily. It sucked, especially since Johnny did seem to try his best when it came to pleasing the bastard. He didn’t deserve Johnny and he looked forward to the day they could both leave this place behind and focus on their futures. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yesterday wasn’t so bad, you know,” Daniel said casually, hoping a change in the topic might get Johnny’s mind off being abandoned for the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Usually, when he was down in the dumps like this, Daniel would pull out his meager collection of records and the two would go back and forth, making up Top Fives on the artist or genre until whatever worries the blond had going on were long gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, however, there were other ways to keep the boy distracted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of Johnny’s eyebrows peaked over his glasses and he tilted his head back to get a better look at Daniel. “Yeah?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we could take it another step further?” He asked, taking another step closer to the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Forward how?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could show you the difference between kissing and making out.” Daniel offered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny smiled, gentle yet teasing as his pearly white teeth bite into his bottom lip. “Ready to take the lead, Larusso?” He asked curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel was more than ready. Or at least his body was. His mind was still stuck on putting up with his braces and he quickly made his way into Johnny’s bathroom to brush his teeth with the toothbrush that Johnny always kept for him under the sink on nights when he’d sleepover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did his usual oral care, wanting his mouth to be as clean as possible for this. When he came back out, Johnny was sitting among the pillows, waiting patiently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I figured, as long as you like, keep your tongue in your mouth and out of mine, we should be okay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny’s expression twisted with confusion and he sat up a little bit straighter. “You don’t want to French kiss?” He asked, sounding almost offended by it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want your tongue hitting the braces,” Daniel admitted, bearing his teeth for Johnny to see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel had made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Worst Things About Having Braces</span>
  </em>
  <span> back when he first got them when he was just a kid. Back then, the number one spot was how much they hurt, but now that he was older and had a libido that he had to keep at bay, he quickly realized the true number one spot should go to the lack of action he’d get because of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny, who has known Daniel for the past four years and had only known him to have braces, rolled his eyes at the worry. “I don’t think it’s a big deal, Danny,” Johnny said dismissively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be a big deal if I cut your tongue open,” Daniel pointed out grimly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure if that was even an option. He had run his tongue along with his braces endlessly after getting them and nothing like that had ever happened, but the fear still lingered. Daniel was fairly certain if anything bad happened while making out with Johnny he would never be able to live it down or even look his friend in his bug eyes again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rather than answering with words, Johnny reached out, pulling on Daniel’s arm until he was on the bed with him. “I’ll be careful,” He murmured, nudging his nose against Daniel’s as he leaned in close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reaching up, Daniel took hold of Johnny’s glasses, carefully removing them from his face and placing them on the nightstand beside the bed. Johnny squinted carefully, letting his eyes adjust for the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He leaned in, taking the lead once again to kick off the kissing. This time he lingered, not breaking away like he had the night before. Making out was meant to be prolonged kisses that went on and on, transitioning from one into the other and so on until you grew too tired to continue or just stopped of your own free will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least that was what Daniel thought it was. Most of the things he watched and read about mostly skipped the makeout portion of the dirty deed and focused on the actual sex part. When you’re young and horned up, foreplay isn’t really on your mind. You usually want to skip to the good stuff, but now they are there, kneeling on Johnny’s bed, kissing, again and again, getting a feel of one another. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel jerked back at the first feeling of Johnny’s tongue slipping into his mouth. He felt it edging forward, pushing through the gates of his lips, wanting entry. Johnny blinked at him, pouting with semi-swollen lips as Daniel broke away from him. “I’ll stop if you want me to.” He swore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel thought about saying yes, but then he remembered this was his idea in the first place and it wasn’t like he’d be getting the braces off anytime soon. If he was going to kiss someone, then they should just get used to the braces, right? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel shook his head, shifting on the bed so he was sitting instead of kneeling, moving so he was situated next to Johnny instead of across from him. “I’m okay.” He promised, offering a reassuring smile he doubted Johnny could even really see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny plopped down beside him, shifting on his side so they were facing one another once more. It was a different position, with Johnny practically lying on his side with Daniel sitting against the headboard. Daniel took the lead this time, breaking the space between them to pick up where they left off, this time welcoming Johnny’s tongue when he felt it slipping through the seam of his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hand gripped Johnny’s bicep as he felt his best friend begin to explore his mouth, getting a feel of him. His tongue was in knots as he tried to keep the focus on his mouth and it wasn’t until Johnny himself pulled away from that Daniel realized he wasn’t even responding to the kisses anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Danny, come on. It’s like making out with a mannequin.” Johnny complained. “You have to relax, man.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel snorted, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “Easy for you to say.” He grumbled, feeling a little childish.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Easy how? I’m just as new to this as you are!” Johnny said, exasperated. He shifted, laying fully on his side as he gazed up at the boy. “Your braces are fine, Daniel. Your breath is fine. Stop thinking and just enjoy it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now I get why you were so hesitant.” He admitted, allowing Johnny to tug him in closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just me, remember? No way we could mess this up.” Johnny assured, his tone gentle, far more than Daniel deserved at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a sigh and a nod of his head, Daniel went back to it, cupping  Johnny’s face carefully in his hand as he took the lead once more. This time, his own tongue decided to get involved, slipping past Johnny’s lips and into the other boy’s mouth. It was an odd sensation, one he wasn’t quite sure how to describe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was...odd, kind of wet,  but not in a bad way. Soft and sweet. Johnny tended to eat mints, so the fresh flavor still lingered over his taste buds and Daniel found himself enjoying the taste, shivering when Johnny’s hand carded through his hair, tugging on it slightly, nails scratching pleasantly across his scalp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It caused a chain reaction through his body, tugging at all the nerves in his chest and swinging downwards towards his groin. He never expected to be the type of guy who liked having his hair pulled, but he’d mark it off as something to try out later. For now, they would continue like this, swapping spit and tasting one another until their lips were wet and pink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel wasn’t sure when they decided to stop, but when they eventually pulled away from each other, they were both flushed and smiling like idiots. They stretched out among Johnny’s blankets and pillows, unconsciously curling towards each other despite the largeness of the bed. The last time Daniel remembered feeling this giddy was the first time they had ever gotten high and it gave him an idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you ever find that stash your step-dad had?” He asked curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, stretching his limbs languidly. “We can’t get high on a school night, Danielle.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but we could do it Friday night when I sleepover.” He suggested, letting the annoying nickname slide for now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny reached over him, his body a long line of brief heat against Daniel’s as he grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and placed them on his face so he could see. “You’re sleeping over Friday?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am now,” Daniel decided, causing the blond to chuckle as he laid back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re insatiable, Larusso.” Johnny teased as he made himself comfortable again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twelve point word, Mr. Lawrence. I’m impressed.” Daniel joked back, earning a smack on the back of the head from Johnny, who was still smiling like the Cheshire cat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Friday couldn’t come fast enough, Daniel thought to himself with an eager grin. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello to everyone reading! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to check this story out. One of my favorites for many reasons though I will personally admit this is my favorite version of Johnny, at least out of my own catalog of writing him. What do you all think? Is he too out of character or is this portrayal of him just right? Please tell me down below!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Top Five Ways To Get A Contact High</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter contains drug use. If you are not into that, please skip this one. </p><p>PS, I've never shotgun smoking before so if somehow I botched it, I apologize. </p><p>Special thanks to StoriesOfMyLife because without her, this chapter would be unreadable.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sleeping over Johnny’s house wasn’t an issue for Daniel, mostly because his mom expected it. They had been each other’s only friends for years so it wasn’t exactly shocking when they began to find a rhythm that worked for the two of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Any time Johnny’s stepdad was too much to handle he would make his way to the LaRusso apartment, accepting the incredibly tiny living space, home-cooked meal, and trundle bed that Daniel would set up for him when he’d spend the night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And on nights when Johnny had the mansion to himself, he would invite Daniel along to make it feel a little less lonely. He lived in the same neighborhood as Dutch and Ali but he never regarded himself as one of the rich kids. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but one that had been forced in there after his mom got married to a movie producer and while a smarter person would have done everything in his power to use that for his own worth, Johnny just didn’t care that much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny was raised like Daniel was--a single mother who taught them that there was more to life than money. And while Daniel knew money didn’t solve everything--it surely would fix a few of his problems--he also knew that Johnny would have given anything to go back to how things were before his mom met Sid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Money couldn’t buy him happiness, or so he </span>
  <em>
    <span>said. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(Daniel thought maybe he wasn’t buying the right stuff)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What it could buy, however, was a shit ton of weed that Johnny had been taking from his stepdad every time the dealer came by. He was smart about it, only taking a little at a time so the bastard didn’t notice. They usually would get their stuff from his cousin Louie, who bought whatever he could from some guy in the city. It was cheap and weak and always left them feeling a little empty, but what could you really expect? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time they had gotten high was during tenth grade while on spring break. Johnny’s mom and stepdad had gone to Cabo and rather than throwing a wild party to get back at them for leaving him behind, he invited Daniel over so they could drink and smoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had both gotten way too sick from it and decided that maybe the alcohol wasn’t a great idea. Daniel can still remember waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of Johnny puking while he passed out on the good tile floor beside him in the bathroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Getting high, however, they still did now and then, with Johnny learning how to roll the paper after reading about it in a book. They would usually share the joint simply because it was easier that way and it wasn’t as if they were trying to get super high--they just wanted to relax a little bit. If his mom found out, she would rip his ear off but for now, it was their own fun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This night, however, was going to be a little different. Rather than go back and forth with the joint Daniel planned on practicing the ancient art of shotgunning it which he had only seen in movies. It always looked so dirty and awesome, he saw no reason not to give it a try.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So when they got settled in, with Daniel getting comfortable on Johnny's giant bed, Johnny got rolling while Daniel ordered pizza for them, but he paused when he remembered the last time they had smoked--they had ordered the pizza after they had smoked,  forgotten all about it and then spent the night absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>starving, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not realizing there was a perfectly good pie sitting out on the doorstep, waiting for them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They got half pepperoni, half mushroom because they needed vegetables in their lives and after it arrived, Daniel set it up on the kitchen table for safekeeping, before making his way back up the large staircase to Johnny’s room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’s it coming, chief?” He asked watching as Johnny licked his fingers, working </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh so </span>
  </em>
  <span>very carefully to seal the joint closed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’re in business, Danny,” Johnny replied, adjusting his glasses slightly as he lifted the joint to show it off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel made his way over, inspecting the piece and finding it properly rolled. Why Johnny didn’t sell this shit on campus and gain some popularity, Daniel would never know, but that was his business. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Making their way over to the bed, Johnny sat down first, leaning against the headboard while Daniel kneeled in front of him, sitting back on his haunches as he watched Johnny rummage around his nightstand drawer for the lighter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay so I just smoke it and you kiss me?” Johnny asked, holding the lighter up in victory when he finally found it amongst all the junk in his nightstand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You take a hit and like to keep the smoke in your mouth. And then when you kiss me you like, push the smoke into my mouth,” Daniel explained </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You suck and I blow,” Johnny surmised, lips quirking into a smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Throat suddenly dry, Daniel just nodded his head in agreement watching with careful eyes as Johnny lit the joint, the paper burning with earnest. He brought it to his lips, his chest rising, cheeks hollowing as he took a slow, deep inhale. When he pulled the joint away, he kept his lips closed and gestured for Daniel to come closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obliging him, Daniel shuffled forward, crawling on his knees so he was beside Johnny and he didn’t hesitate to lean in, kissing him like he had done all those times before. When Johnny opened his mouth, he breathed the smoke out, but the angle was wrong and most of the smoke went up Daniel’s nose and the resulting tickle made him cough and have to fight back a sneeze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” Johnny asked, blue eyes wide with concern.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel waved him off, cheeks flushing. “Yeah, I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He startled when he felt a hand on his thigh and he looked down, watching with interest as Johnny’s hand slid up and curled around his hip. “Come closer,” Johnny said, tugging him gently for emphasis. “Straddle me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel was sure there was another way Johnny could have phrased it, but he let it go, doing as he was told, shifting until he was in Johnny’s lap, knees bracketing his hips and moving in until they were sitting chest to chest. Johnny took another slow hit and this time they were close enough to where Daniel could see the way his lips, wet and pink, wrapped around the end of the joint. The way his lashes fluttered as he took another deep inhale, the satisfying hum he let out when the smoke settled into his lungs. In the back of his mind, Daniel thought of Johnny’s lips wrapped around </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> things, but before the image could really take form, Johnny was kissing him, tongue nudging his lips apart and Daniel opened for him, shivering when the warm smoke tickled and teased its way into his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes, basking in that familiar, hazy heat that made every brush of their lips, every lazy stroke of their tongues, feel heightened, making Daniel feel flushed and warm all over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny pulled away, holding the joint out in offering and Daniel didn’t hesitate, lips brushing against the tips of Johnny’s fingers as they wrapped around the end of the joint. Johnny watched him with wide, pupil-blown eyes as he took a hit, batting his hands away when Daniel tried to take it and Daniel wondered, as the smoke curled in his lungs if this was doing something for Johnny. If those blown pupils were from the pot or something </span>
  <em>
    <span>else.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Either way, it made Daniel feel hot all over and when Johnny’s lips captured his the second they left the joint, his tongue forcing Daniel’s lips apart so he could suck on the smoke, groaning at the taste, Daniel felt like he was going to burst into flames.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for Daniel to get a bit dizzy and he pulled away, leaning back a little to give himself a moment to breathe, though Johnny kept an arm around his waist to keep him from going too far.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it warm in here or is it just me?” Daniel asked, pulling at the collar of his t-shirt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, tilting his head up as he adjusted his glasses. “Central air is off,” he admitted, pulling playfully at the bottom hem of the shirt. “You can take this off if you want.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel thought about that notion, watching as Johnny took another slow hit. He expected Johnny to kiss him again but instead the blond bastard blew the smoke directly in Daniel’s face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God you are such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dick!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Daniel whined, pulling his shirt off his head, tossing the article of clothing back behind him blindly, uncaring where it landed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He snatched the joint from him and, ignoring Johnny’s whine of protest, he pressed it against his own lips and took a long, deep drag. He made a show of it--fluttering his lashes, groaning lowly when the taste of the smoke swirled over his taste buds--just to be an ass and he could feel Johnny, who was leaned against the headboard, watching him the entire time. Blowing the plume of smoke from between his lips, he met Johnny’s glazed, heavy-lidded eyes, and with a smirk, he reached out, taking the glasses gently off of his face and placing them onto the nightstand so he could no longer watch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pouting, Johnny leaned in, his arm tightening around Daniel’s waist. “No fair,” he murmured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel merely shrugged, his chest rising as he took another low hit. He released the smoke slowly, letting it sit in the back of his throat, his mind growing fuzzier and fuzzier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small sense of alertness came back to him when he felt Johnny beginning to kiss along his collarbone, his tongue tasting his skin for the first time. It was a sensation Daniel probably couldn’t describe while sober, but all he could think about now was how much he enjoyed it, especially when Johnny's lips moved upwards, kissing and sucking at a sensitive spot near his ear, right where Daniel’s jaw sloped into his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been on their list of things that they had wanted to try, so he wasn’t too surprised that Johnny jumped the gun to do it. What </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>surprise him was the boldness that came over the blond. Daniel blamed the pot for making Johnny so eager, with the way he held Daniel tightly in his arms until they were chest to chest with the exclusion of Johnny’s shirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny’s mouth was sucking on his pulse point, and for a moment Daniel had almost forgotten what they were even doing until he felt Johnny’s teeth graze against his skin. It was a sharp awakening and he quickly pulled himself from the haze long enough to put the joint out on the makeshift ashtray on the nightstand so he didn’t drop it on the sheets and burn the house down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you didn’t want hickeys?” Daniel asked, catching the familiar shimmer in Johnny’s eyes as he pulled back, his lips wet and pink from their work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minds can change,” he answered, leaving it at that before he swooped back in, this time beginning to suck against Daniel’s skin to make that </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh so</span>
  </em>
  <span> very requested hickey. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Having someone kiss your neck felt good, but having them bite against your shoulder or suck on your pulse point was a completely different experience--one that could very easily cause a major problem between Daniel’s legs that couldn’t go ignored. Especially since Daniel was back at it again with his jean shorts (jorts as Johnny liked to call them) and Johnny was wearing nothing but his pajamas by this point since it was late and the weather was a bit cooler this time of night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with the angle Johnny had him at, it wasn’t a surprise that the blond was quick to feel what had actually begun to transpire in Daniel’s shorts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can take those off. Denim and dicks don’t really do well together.” Johnny murmured against his skin, pulling back to give Daniel the chance to move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel blinked, his mind still a little hazy from the weed but he pulled away a moment later, unzipping to remove the shorts that had begun to feel a little too tight against his groin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he knelt back on the bed wearing nothing more than his boxers, he looked back over to Johnny, pouting. “Take your shirt off,” he requested. “I don’t want to be the only one naked.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have your boxers on. That’s not naked.” Johnny pointed out but did as he was told, pulling his shirt off in one quick swoop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny always had a nice build. He had the hot bod that would get the girls looking before they realized how blind he was. Daniel was the lanky bastard who struggled to have any appeal to him other than looking like a fourteen-year-old despite being seventeen. The braces certainly didn’t help that situation, so seeing Johnny in all his Ken doll glory certainly didn’t help him with his own issues. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Especially the one between his legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny pulled him back into his lap, bringing their lips together for a sloppy kiss. He still tasted like a mixture of the sweet, almost floral scent from the weed. He also tasted like burnt paper and smoke, which was expected. And then he tasted like Johnny--a sharp, peppermint twang that felt more like a bite than a kiss on his tongue and it made his cock throb.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny shifted on the bed, the movement causing their groins to brush together and it was like a chain reaction built up in slow-mo. The movement of their bodies caused a delicious snap of pleasure to recoil in Daniel’s spine, a desperate moan leaving his lips that Johnny swallowed with a kiss. The sounds registered in Johnny’s mind and his body reacted to it, pushing back up against Daniel’s, and this time, they both groaned at the sensation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took them a few tries, but soon their bodies were shifting together, falling into a slow, easy grind that made Daniel’s toes curl and his belly heat with arousal. This certainly wasn’t how he had expected his night to go--some gentle kisses shared between smoking pot and eating pizza, maybe--but he certainly wasn’t going to complain as his hand couldn’t hold a candle to</span>
  <em>
    <span> this--</span>
  </em>
  <span>the movement of his hips grinding against Johnny’s, the way he was rocking against him, the feeling of Johnny’s own member sliding against him as well as feeling him a little lower and further back in a place Daniel hadn’t thought to touch himself just yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Danny,” he heard Johnny murmur against his lips, but he was too focused on chasing the delicious friction to notice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Danny,” he heard again but Daniel just quickened his movements, his hands pressing against Johnny’s shoulders, holding onto him as he found a better place than made them both groan and see stars.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fingers clutched at his chin, tilting his head forward and Daniel was helpless to follow, too high from the weed and the pleasure to protest. “Danny,” Johnny breathed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He expected him to say something else, to ask him something or maybe even make a joke but instead, he just looked at him, blue eyes almost black with arousal, holding his face closely, the distance enough for Johnny to actually see him even in the dim light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel felt the tip of Johnny’s thumb pulling at his bottom lip and the action caused him to reveal the bottom layer of his braces and while Daniel should have been embarrassed, the sight of them caused another recoiling snap-in Johnny, his hips jerking upwards against Daniel’s bottom half, the sensation releasing another stomach-clenching moan from Daniel’s lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel took Johnny's thumb into his mouth, sucking on it just as he had the joint they had shared, tongue lapping along the tendon and he groaned at the taste of Johnny’s skin. He looked up through his hazy eyes to catch Johnny watching him with an earnestness that made heat coil at the base of his spine and the sight alone was too much for him to bear and with a few more thrust against the brunet, Johnny was a goner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel wasn’t far behind, using Johnny and the heel of his own hand to push himself off the edge, finishing inside his boxers like he was some freshman who just learned how to rut against a pillow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny collapsed into the headboard after that, his chest rising and falling as he panted tiredly. Daniel shifted on the bed, rolling off of Johnny until he was face down on the mattress, the mess between his legs growing colder by the second but his mind was too far behind for him to even focus on that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remind me . . . remind me to thank Sid for the weed,” Daniel muttered breathlessly, lifting his head from the cushion of the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remind who of what?” Johnny replied dumbly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel blinked, completely forgetting what he was even saying. He fell forward again, shifting until he was comfortable enough against the soft blanket and Egyptian cotton sheets to fall asleep. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, what did you think? Is it well worth posting every Monday? Please tell me down below what you thought. I cherish every word written.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Top Five Ways To Make The Same Dumb Mistake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again, thank you to StoriesOfMyLife for being an absolute angel and editing this, making it readable. One day I will write THAT specific fic we both discussed because it deserves to be in the world for your sake.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daniel hadn’t expected to cross off two things off his list in one night and if he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>Getting High On Good Shit </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Having An Orgasm With More Than My Hand</span>
  </em>
  <span> certainly weren’t the ones he could have aimed for. Their night hadn’t gone as planned, not really, but no complaints were coming from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two out of Five was a great way to start the weekend and now he just had to focus on the remaining three in the days to come before prom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel half expected things to become a little weird with Johnny after their last night together. This whole thing had been his idea, so if things did go south, it would be his own fault. He half expected Johnny to call the whole thing off since it isn’t every day you get high and grind against your buddy, but he guessed that was what friends were for--to lend a helping hand (or pelvis) when needed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In reality, nothing happened. They didn’t talk about it. Not because they were avoiding the whole thing, but because it turned out not to be that big of a deal. After all, they had an agreement between them. Do whatever they would do with a chick with each other and while the biology was a bit different, rubbing one-off wasn’t too out of bounds. Girls were into foreplay right? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny wound up giving him a few marks that night, which Daniel hadn’t even noticed until he got home the following morning and showered, noticing the rough-looking bruises in the steamed-up mirror. They were all along his collarbone and the place where his neck and shoulder met. He ran his fingers over them tentatively, thinking back to how sharp Johnny’s bites were, how tightly he was sucking against his skin like he was determined to leave a reminder behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All except one were hidden underneath his shirt. Johnny had gotten a little overzealous and worked his way up Daniel’s neck and even with a popped collar, there was no way of keeping it out of sight. He was able to hide it from his mother by draping his jacket over his neck like a makeshift scarf on his way out of the house, but once school started, there was nothing he could do but hope nobody paid him any mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And for the most part, nobody did. Nobody except for Johnny, who he had caught multiple times glancing over to the mark, even reaching out to touch it a time or two. Only once did he get close enough to and Daniel was quick to swat his hand away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dick!” Johnny hissed, shaking his aching hand to soothe the sting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop admiring your work, Picasso.” Daniel snapped as he swapped his books out at his locker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No need to get pissy. You weren’t complaining while I was doing it.” Johnny reminded him, his teeth biting into his lower lip in an attempt to keep himself from smirking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel didn’t reply, mostly because he had nothing to say to that. There was no complaining because how the fuck do you complain about something that felt so good? He knew that people left hickies for a reason (to show off, to be possessive) but he didn’t know that the act itself was so enjoyable. Daniel forced himself not to think about it, worried that the memory alone would trigger another hard-on for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are we still on for tonight?” Johnny asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The drive-in theater had been up and running again since the fire started in early March. The projector basically exploded which meant the whole place was shut down for a good while. They finally got it working again and in honor of welcoming everybody back, they decided to add a whole list of movies to play.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Going on a school night wasn’t ideal, but his mom agreed to let him go. On this particular night, they were having a John Hughes marathon and while both boys did lean more towards science fiction or action movies, they couldn’t get enough of that teen drama bullshit, even if they were currently living it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Duh. We’ve been waiting weeks for this.” Daniel replied, slamming his locker closed as he stood up, draping the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. “Should I bike to your place?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll pick you up,” Johnny replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gave the blond a quick once over, noticing he wasn’t wearing any of the clothes they had picked out the previous week. “Are you gonna wear something new?” He asked him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was meant to be a casual question since they’d have enough time in between school and then that they could probably swap out of their school attire. The question had Johnny blushing, adjusting his glasses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t know I had to dress up, Larusso.” He said with a roll of his eyes, leaning into the locker beside Daniel’s. “Is this a date or something?” He asked, his eyes flickering back to Daniel’s as he waited for the answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel shifted beside him, moving closer to the lockers as a group of girls walked by, shoving him in the process. They completely ignored him, as if he was invisible. Daniel wondered what was worse: being invisible to all the girls in school or being seen as Brace-Face to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With the way things are going for us it would be the only one we go on,” Daniel grumbled, adjusting the strap to his back once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It could be, you know. A date.” Johnny said suddenly, surprising Daniel and giving him pause, his eyes flickering over Johnny’s face in confusion. His pale cheeks were flushed a rosy hue and he was biting his lip so hard, Daniel worried he was going to chew it off. He looked...nervous, which was...</span>
  <em>
    <span>odd. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel opened his mouth, intending to ask him what his damage was, but before he could, Johnny added, almost hastily, “I mean, we have to practice, right? That’s what this whole thing is about, isn’t it? Practice.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel eyed him suspiciously, but Johnny just blinked back at him, blue eyes inscrutable behind his bottle cap lenses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Daniel said after a beat. Shrugging, he added jokingly, “Practice makes perfect.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The warning bell went off and Daniel swore under his breath since his next class was all the way on the other side of the school. “Shit. I have to go. I’ll see you later, okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For our </span>
  <em>
    <span>date</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Johnny replied, whether, in a teasing or clarification, he didn’t know, but Daniel was too busy trying to get to his class and not receiving a tardy to notice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wound up making it in time, falling back into his seat just before the final bell. He spent the rest of his day skating through class, jotting down notes, and speaking to his teachers about his acceptance as it was still a big deal that one of the poorer kids got into such a good school. Daniel would be lying if he said he wasn’t proud of his accomplishments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had to stay after for extra credit, working on some art project that was meant to be meaningful and smart, but it was just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo so Daniel could get that passing grade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another student, Shannon Keene, was in the class alongside Daniel and also decided to stay after, working on her own project--a huge mirror with two sides, one was covered in flowers and butterflies and the other side was cracked and dirty. Daniel had no idea what the hell that was supposed to mean, but he complimented it on his way out for the sake of being nice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shannon was the type of girl his mother always warned him about. The ones with the big egos and even bigger reputations. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Craziest Things Shannon Keene Had Ever Done </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Slept With a Teacher (substitute, but still a member of the facility) </span></li>
<li><span>Inspired An Indie Bands Concept Album (Daniel had the CD -- it wasn’t bad).</span></li>
<li><span>Snuck Vodka Into Her Water Bottle and Drank It On Campus. </span></li>
<li><span>Vandalized A Teachers Car (AP History -- the guy was a dick, so points to Shannon).</span></li>
<li><span>Had Sex With Every Member of Cobra Kai (or so Dutch said) </span></li>
</ol><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite all this, Johnny had always been rather friendly with her. They had gone to middle school together, back before everybody got popular and joined their respected cliques. She and Ali used to be best friends, but that dropped as quickly as Johnny’s and Dutch’s friendship. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>High school changes people. There was no denying that, for better or for worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, if she was in Johnny’s good graces, then she was in Daniel’s. He was nice to her and she was the same to him, being one of the few people in the school who 1)., knew he existed and 2)., didn’t mock him relentlessly over his braces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Staying after meant riding his bike to school, so, once his project was halfway completed, Daniel peddled home as quickly as possible, walking in just as his mom was getting ready to go to work. She had made him dinner, making him promise to eat it and not just stuff his face with popcorn and other junk food while at the movies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel pacified her, munching on the stew she had cooked while working on his homework, waiting for the time to tick down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wound up changing his clothes beforehand, packing one of the shirts he had gotten at the mall with Johnny. No one would even see it since they’d be in the car more than anything, but he thought it looked cool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A knock on the door caught Daniel’s and he went to open it, expecting to find a package being delivered or maybe even his mom having to return because she forgot her key or something, but instead it was Johnny, dressed in an outfit he had never seen before--blue jeans and a white tee shirt tucked in, along with the denim jacket he had picked out while out the mall made up for one hell of a look and Daniel found himself taken back for the moment. “Hey,” He breathed, finally coming to. “Look at you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny smiled, adjusting his glasses. “You look good. New shirt?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel nodded. “I guess we’re both dressing up tonight,” he said with a small laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready? We can head out if you want.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, lemme just grab my stuff.” Daniel tossed his thumb back, moving to grab his wallet off the kitchen table. He put his bowl in the sink and cut the lights, following Johnny out of the complex and to his car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny stopped in front of the passenger side door, opening it for him. Daniel snorted, sliding in easily. “Aren’t you a gentleman?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mama raised me right,” Johnny replied as he closed the door behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Normally when they would hit up the drive-through, they would try to get a closer spot on account of Johnny’s eyesight--even with his glasses, he had issues seeing far away so getting a spot right up front was ideal-- but this time around, however, the place was packed beyond belief, so they didn’t even make an attempt, accepting their fate as they parked in the back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They went their separate ways, with Daniel going to grab the popcorn while Johnny got the drinks. They met back up at the car, with Johnny surprising Daniel with a box of junior mints. Thanks to his braces, Daniel couldn’t have a large array of things, meaning the enjoyment of certain candies was to be abandoned. Some, however, like the box Johnny had gifted him with, made the exception as they were soft enough to eat without excessive chewing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They munched on their snacks and drank their soda throughout the Breakfast Club, enjoying the chance to be alone in the car so they didn’t have to whisper their snarky comments as they did in the actual theatre. Here, they could talk at a normal volume, discussing casting and whatnot as the movie played on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John Hughes had become a staple for them. While they both preferred good old action films, there was just something about the Brat Pack that sent butterflies through both their stomachs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five John Hughes Movies (In Their Opinion)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Ferris Bueller’s Day Off</span></li>
<li><span>Breakfast Club </span></li>
<li><span>Weird Science </span></li>
<li><span>Some Kind Of Wonderful</span></li>
<li><span>Plains, Trains, and Automobiles</span></li>
</ol><p> </p><p>
  <span>They would go back and forth on it sometimes, swapping numbers and scratching out spots, but the list was usually always the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second, Sixteen Candles, was definitely more of a chick flick, but it had some good moments to it--seeing Haviland Morris’ tits and Molly Ringwald, who Daniel had a deep appreciation for, despite his taste gearing more towards blondes. It was the lips, man, those </span>
  <em>
    <span>lips-</span>
  </em>
  <span>-but  Daniel would be lying if he said he wasn’t losing interest. He had promised his mom he wouldn’t stay out too late, however, so he found himself kind of bummed that the second movie was such a stinker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny seemed none too thrilled about it either, yawning with boredom as he stretched his arms out, leaning his right against the back of Daniel’s seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gonna fall asleep on me, Johnny?” He quipped, tossing a piece of popcorn at Johnny’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey. Don’t mess up the car, asshole,” Johnny said with a scowl, picking up the wayward piece of popcorn and tossing it out the window.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They should have played this first so we could have come later,” Daniel mumbled, carefully placing the half-eaten bag of popcorn on the floor between his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And then we would have gotten an even worse spot,” Johnny reminded him. “We could always leave. You won’t miss curfew then.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We paid for the full tickets. Might as well stay,” He muttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>paid for the tickets,” Johnny corrected him. Johnny had the car, so he paid for the price of admission. Daniel tried to give him the cash for it, but he refused, insisting that it wasn’t that big of a deal. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, glancing over to Daniel briefly. “We could do something else to keep us busy.” He offered casually.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” Daniel asked, momentarily taking his eyes off of Molly Ringwald’s pouty lips -- those fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>lips </span>
  </em>
  <span>-- to chance a curious glance over at Johnny. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nodding forward, Johnny gestured to the cars outside Daniel’s window. Looking out, he found nobody sitting in the driver’s seat. It didn’t take a genius to know what they were doing. It was common knowledge that the drive-in was the perfect place to hook up. The entire lot was pitch black and everybody around was too invested in the film to pay attention to any commotion happening in the car beside them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The further back you parked, the less of a chance of being noticed and they were practically on the last line, completely out of view. Johnny had the top up on the car, giving them the privacy they would need if they decided to go that extra mile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re serious?” He asked, feeling excitement buzz through him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny shrugged, his fingers still drumming on the wheel. “It would be fun,” He admitted. “I mean. Fooling around in a car is pretty scandalous, right?” Johnny challenged. “Didn’t you have that on your list?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel bit his lip, contemplating it. He did have it on his list. To do something scandalous or illegal. Well, technically smoking pot was illegal but it wasn’t scandalous, just frowned upon. Getting off in a car while in a public parking lot, </span>
  <em>
    <span>however .</span>
  </em>
  <span> . . well, how much more scandalous could you get? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel nodded his head, looking around once more. Nobody was paying any mind to them and it was obvious that pretty much every other car in their lane was doing the same. With another nod, Daniel watched as Johnny shifted from the driver's seat, going to crawl into the back and Daniel wasn’t too far behind, going to fill into space beside him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The back of the car wasn’t as cramped as he thought it would be, but they were forced to be on top of one another, not that either of them cared much. They had already crossed the straddling bridge and at this point, there was no going back. Daniel was careful with Johnny’s glasses, placing them on the passenger seat so they didn’t get lost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel wasn’t sure how far they were planning on going, but it didn’t take long for the tiny space to get overheated and for hands to roam all around. The fact that he was once again pressed against Johnny didn’t help his desire to not get a stiffy and Johnny’s all too eager fingers dancing along with his jean-clad hard on when they shifted wasn’t making the situation any easier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Need a hand, Danny?” He asked, the words ghosting against Daniel’s lips, voice low and teasing, sending a shiver racing down Daniel’s spine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hesitated, thinking that perhaps they’d be pushing their luck, but he figured if a bunch of other people could have sex in the back of their cars, why couldn’t they exchange hand jobs? Daniel didn’t even bother replying with words, instead of humming in approval as he felt Johnny’s fingers beginning to work his zipper down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He began tugging at Johnny's jacket, wanting to free him from the obviously overheated article of clothing. The white t-shirt he had on was snug against his body, emphasizing the impressive physique underneath it and it was almost unfair how someone could look so good in such a simple piece of clothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once the jacket was off, Johnny went back to work, his fingers dancing along the waistband of his boxers before slipping underneath the thin fabric, wrapping easily around Daniel’s member. A quiet swear escaped his lips and he felt his hips thrust upwards into Johnny’s hand before he leaned back down, kissing him in a needy fashion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel had touched himself before this, having gotten a hang of it over the years. He used to steal his cousin's dirty magazines when he was in his younger years and now that he was in his late teens, he used his imagination to get by, whether it be in his bed in the middle of the night or the shower during the early morning. It was a great stress reliever from what he read, so he refused to allow himself to feel any shame for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But having someone else touch him was a whole different experience, however. Unlike his own strokes, which were usually rapid with the desire to get off hard and quick, Johnny’s were slow and careful, almost teasing, every shift and twist different, like he was coming up with his own motion and method. He found a rhythm all his own and it drove Daniel completely wild, to the point of no longer being able to kiss him as he couldn’t focus on anything other than the constant pull of pleasure coming from his cock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Danny.” Johnny coaxed, his voice heavy and hot in his ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel had his forehead pressed against Johnny’s shoulder, his eyes closed tightly as he tried not to shoot off right then and there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny certainly wasn’t helping, releasing a quiet, yet heartfelt laugh as he seemed to pick up the pace on his hand just slightly. “No point in holding on, babe.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you,” Daniel groaned, biting down on Johnny’s shoulder as another moan ripped, unbidden, from his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, catching Daniel’s ear between his teeth, nibbling at the sensitive skin, causing a high pitched squeak to escape his lips -- a sound he knows he’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> live down for the rest of his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that something you want, Danny? Something you want to cross off your list?” He murmured lowly, though the words were lost on Daniel as Johnny picked up the pace once more, this time matching the quick strokes Daniel would give to himself a couple of times a week. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel had no choice but to follow the endless tug of pleasure, arching into Johnny as he continued to whisper to Daniel, urging him to meet his end, which he did with another passionate moan that Johnny was quick to smother with a kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole thing was sloppy and hot, and Daniel was fairly certain he would have cried if they weren’t in a public area. He collapsed onto Johnny, who kept his cum covered hand at an awkward angle so he didn’t accidentally get any of the mess on either of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stayed like that for a moment, just breathing in the warm, sex scented air as they came down from their highs. They used the napkins they had gotten from the concession stand to clean off Johnny’s hand, with the latter using his tongue to lick away the access and reduce stickiness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel wanted to comment, to make a joke or say something lewd, but found himself in awe of his best friend, who was so carelessly running his finger between his fingers, licking himself clean of Daniel’s seed-- which,</span>
  <em>
    <span> hot.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, he snapped out of it, clearing his throat and going back to sit up front, making sure to grab Johnny’s glasses before sitting. They shared the rest of their drinks, figuring that sharing a straw wasn’t the worst they could do by this point, and tore into the box of junior mints, with Daniel half feeding them to Johnny towards the end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you don’t want me to repay you?” He asked, gesturing to Johnny’s own groin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had seemed unfair, with Daniel being the only one to get off at that moment. It would have been a quick fix, with them moving once again to the back seat, but Johnny shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blond leaned in then, opening his mouth for more candy. Daniel held them out to him and in a quick movement, wrapped his mouth around Daniel’s fingers, sucking them teasingly as he accepted the candy. “I’m good.” He replied after swallowing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel nodded his head dumbly, forcing himself to stare forward and watch the rest of the film so his mind didn’t drift anywhere else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When it was over, they collected their garbage and got out of the car, making their way over to the barrels the drive-in used as garbage cans. The lot was clearing up now and with the lights back on, they were finally able to see something other than themselves again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only thing they didn’t see, however, was the foot sticking out as they walked by, catching Johnny off guard. He fell forward, slamming onto his knees and causing his glasses to fly off his face. Daniel was quick to help Johnny up, checking to make sure he was all right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both heard it happen, the familiar crunch and the snapping of plastic and glass. They looked over to see a dirty Vans sneaker standing directly onto Johnny’s glasses, breaking them into pieces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoops. Sorry, Lawrence.” Dutch muttered, a twisting tease in his voice as he lifted his foot, revealing the broken pair. “I guess I didn’t see them..” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are such a dick, Dutch!” Daniel snapped, lunging forward, more than ready to take Dutch on, even if they both knew who would win in the end, but Johnny caught him around the waist, tugging him back to his side, shooting him a warning look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Why don’t you come over and suck me then, brace face?” Dutch asked, receiving an array of high fives from the others around him as they made their way out of the lot and back to their car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel huffed, annoyed and shaking himself out of Johnny’s hold, he walked over, scooping up the mangled pieces of Johnny’s glasses. “Do you have your spares?” He asked, carefully placing the mess in Johnny’s hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“These were the spares,” Johnny replied mournfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel frowned, placing his hand on Johnny’s shoulder so he could guide him back to the car. Daniel wound up driving them home, with Johnny insisting Daniel take the car back to his house. He would discuss what to do with his mother in the morning, but for now, Daniel was free to have the car, at least until Johnny could see again. It was a small consolation prize, one Daniel couldn’t even fully enjoy as he parked it beside his mother’s car in their tiny complex parking lot. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To everyone commenting, thank you so so much. This week has been a lot and your words truly make me feel wonderful. </p><p>And yes, Johnny is wholeheartedly and undoubtedly in love with Daniel. The idiot just can't tell.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Top Five Ways To See Through The Bullshit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daniel got a call from Johnny the following day, explaining that his mom was taking him to the eye doctor that morning and that he’d meet up with him around lunch. It wasn’t an ideal situation, as Sid was pissed off over Johnny messing up his glasses while Laura was unhappy to know her son was still being bullied after all these years.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I told them if they had just let me do karate like I wanted to then none of this would be happening,” Johnny grumbled into the receiver. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And what did Sid say?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He just laughed,” Johnny admitted. “He said the last thing I needed was to know how to fight back. And that I should just be smart and stay down when I’m hit.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel’s chest hurt thinking of all the times he and Johnny had gotten into scuffles with the jerks from school. They weren’t usually ones to take things sitting down so it didn’t take much for them to wind up getting beaten and bruised because they couldn’t keep their mouths shut.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck him. And fuck those karate guys. They wouldn’t know what real fighting as if it kicked them in the head.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess.” Johnny sighed. Daniel heard a soft voice on the other end, figuring it was Johnny’s mom. “Hey, I better go. Take the car to school okay? I should be able to drive it home later.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If not, I hope you get a cute seeing-eye dog.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would I need a dog when I have you to guide me?” Johnny asked and Daniel could practically hear the smile on his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Woof,” Daniel replied before hanging up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The morning was boring for Daniel without Johnny there to bug. It was odd being the one driving the nice car, taking the chance to park in a decent spot this time around rather than all the way back. He managed to get through the rest of the day without seeing Johnny in the hallway or the select few classes they shared.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel made sure to take notes for Johnny, trying his best to make his handwriting a little more legible since the blond always bitched that it was too sloppy for him to read. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When lunch finally rolled around, Daniel grabbed his tray and went to their usual table. He was sitting alone only for a few moments, keeping his eyes down on his notebook as he decided to do homework rather than just sit and eat like a pathetic loser. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel felt the table shift as somebody sat across from him and, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the look of the same jean jacket Johnny had worn to the drive-in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, how did it go?” He asked, lifting his head to glance over to the blond. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of the bottle capped glasses he had gotten used to seeing on Johnny, he found that the boy's face was completely bare. His eyes were bright and bright in their own way, if not a bit shiny from whatever products the doctor had given him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They didn’t give you glasses?” He inquired.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They did, but my mom suggested I give contacts a try,” Johnny confessed, blinking slightly. “I’m still getting used to them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Contacts? So you can actually see me right now?” Daniel waved a hand in front of Johnny’s face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I can see you,” Johnny replied dryly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel moved his hand back, holding up two fingers for as far as his arm would go. “How about now?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I can see,” Johnny answered, opening up the McDonald’s bag he carried in with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Whenever his mom would pull him out of school or take him to the doctor because he was late, Laura would always send her son off with a treat. Daniel’s own mom would do it, too, but usually, they’d just go to the diner near their complex and let him bring a dessert to school.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel was about to comment when Johnny placed a box of McNuggets in front of him, causing his heart to nearly skip a beat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny hated McDonald's chicken nuggets. He always has. He had told his mom he liked them, however, because Daniel liked them and Johnny was a good friend who shared with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“God, you’re a lifesaver,” he said appreciatively, pushing the tray with the cold jelly sandwich on it out of the way so he could flip the lid open and dig in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything fun happens while I was gone?” Johnny asked as he took a bite of his burger. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before Daniel could swallow his bite, he found himself completely frozen as Ali Mills approached their table. She was wearing her cheer uniform, which wasn’t rare but certainly a nice sight to see. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Johnny,” she spoke softly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny looked up, squinting for a moment as his eyes adjusted. “Oh. Hi Ali.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I just wanted to apologize for what happened last night at the drive-in. I saw what Dutch did to your glasses.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Yeah well, it’s Dutch. What do you expect? He wasn’t exactly born with all the right stuff, you know?” He muttered, tapping his temple playfully.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It was uncalled for. I just don’t get why he has to be a jerk all the time.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you weren’t the one who tripped me so no need to apologize.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to get them repaired?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He has contacts,” Daniel mentioned from across the table. Ali glanced over to him, offering a polite smile, one that Daniel was quick to return. “He can see you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah? How do I look?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Awesome,” Daniel replied. “Like always.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Some of us we’re gonna go to Golf N Stuff tomorrow night if you want to join us.” She confessed, shifting closer to Johnny on the bench. “Maybe you could finally let me beat you at skee ball?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Johnny replied in a tone Daniel certainly didn’t want to hear. It was sharp and painful, like being invited out by a girl was a bother to Johnny. “That’s nice Ali, but I don’t think--”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“--He’ll be there!” Daniel practically shouted across the table, cutting him off</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I will?” Johnny asked, shooting Daniel a quirked eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You should come too, Daniel. It’ll be a whole group thing,” She suggested. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel had to stop himself from falling off the bench. He had never been invited anywhere by one of the popular kids. He had never been invited anywhere by anybody other than Johnny. And nowhere was Ali Mills, the future 1989 prom queen, asking him to tag along.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe there really is a God.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll be there,” Daniel swore, earning a famous Ali Mills smile in response.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great! We’re meeting around six. See you guys there.” Ali said with another bright smile before she walked off, going back to her table with the rest of the popular folk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy shit. I can’t believe that really happened.” Daniel muttered softly to himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny, on the other hand, didn’t seem as thrilled about the whole thing. “Why would you agree to that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would I agree to hang out with Ali Mills?” Daniel demanded, incredulous. “I don’t know, maybe because I’m not a moron?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Daniel tomorrow is </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wednesday</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Johnny said as if that was supposed to mean something to Daniel. And when he failed to give him an appropriate response, Johnny sighed, annoyed. “We go to the record shop on Wednesdays,” he reminded him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had been their tradition for the past year -- every Wednesday they would head into town and go right to the record shop. They specifically went on Wednesdays because it was in the middle of the week and the lady who ran the place would always get new shipments in that morning, meaning all the new stuff was front and center, and all the stuff he wanted to be sold for cheap was pushed to the back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had gotten a majority of his collection thanks to this tradition but they had more important things to do this time around. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We can skip a week, Johnny,” Daniel said, waving a dismissive hand “This is major! We’re one step closer to our goal now.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny didn’t look as pleased about the situation but he didn’t argue. He just went back to eating, trying his best to avoid rubbing his eyes. He had applied some eye drops while they were in the hall after lunch and then again when they were in the car.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny said he got another pair of glasses for when he was home but for school and going out he wanted to give contacts a try. At least for a little while, until he could get the hang of them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Johnny dropped Daniel off, all he could think about was what would happen the following day. He felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, eagerly waiting for Santa to come. He was practically bouncing off the walls and tossing and turning in his bed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The school came and went on Wednesday and that night Johnny came by after dinner so Daniel could get ready. He was deciding between two shirts, unsure of which ones actually worked all that well together. The last thing he wanted was to stick out too much in front of the popular crowd.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even if he couldn’t get Ali’s attention, he could at least turn the heads of her friends, most of which were decently pretty in comparison to Ali. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny, on the other hand, was sitting on his bed, skimming through a comic book, looking completely uninterested and almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>bored</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How the hell can you just sit there so calmly?” Daniel demanded, nervously running his hands through his hair. It refused to lay right and it was driving him nuts. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe because I don’t wanna go in the first place?” Johnny replied, not bothering to look up from his comic. He sounded as bored as he looked. “All we are gonna do is follow the girls around and put up with their asshole boyfriends.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“One of those girls is dating Bobby. Are you really calling Bobby an asshole?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m calling Bobby’s friends assholes. I don’t know why you’d want to associate with them anyway.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I don’t want to go to college knowing I didn’t do a single cool thing while in high school,” Daniel retorted, pulling his shirt off so he could change into another. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was jumping in place, trying to work out his muscles as he picked through the options in his closet. He heard Johnny move throughout the room and jumped when he felt a hand at his waist.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re like a bundle of nerves,” He said, voice an odd mixture of exasperated and fond, his eyes falling at Daniel’s lips. There was a knowing smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes that Daniel couldn’t quite describe. He wondered if that was due to the contact lenses or something</span>
  <em>
    <span> else</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “I could help you relax if you want.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I still feel bad about last time,” Daniel admitted, chewing on his lip guiltily, knowing that Johnny probably wound up going home after the drive-in and rubbing one out on his own since they were mostly focused on Daniel while in the back of the car.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny leaned in, the tip of his nose tracing gently along his jawline. With him being this close, Daniel could smell the aftershave on his skin and the cologne on his clothes. Johnny only wore one type of cologne: Eternity by Calvin Klein. It was expensive and his mom bought him a bottle every year for his birthday. The smell would linger on his bed sometimes and Daniel would often breathe it in when he would sleepover. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Make it up to me then,” Johnny murmured, his breath a warm exhale over Daniel’s skin, making him shiver.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny pulled back far enough to catch Daniel’s gaze, lips quirking into a daring grin, eyes twinkling with challenge, and, well, Daniel was never one to back down from a challenge. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He made it up to him, alright... After taking the time to figure out how to actually navigate both of them on his lean and narrow bed, Daniel wound up with Johnny’s bare dick in his hand, which he was quick to jerk off just as he would himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny’s mouth was on his neck again, his hips moving in tandem with Daniel’s strokes. Everything about this was so hot and desperate, he wasn’t surprised it didn’t last very long, with Johnny taking the helm to get Daniel off right after that, going so far to use the wetness of his own cum as lubricant on his hand as he jerked Daniel off for the second time in one week.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It shouldn’t have felt so good and his mind should have been turning to mush every time they finished, but that’s just how it was. Daniel didn’t have it written down officially, but if he did have a Top Five for this whole arrangement, it would be the following: </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Best Things About Messing Around With Another Guy (Johnny Specifically) </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>He Knew Where To Touch (hello, he has a dick so he knows the body part well enough).</span></li>
<li><span>The Way His Mouth Felt On Daniel’s Skin (God Bless those pearly whites)</span></li>
<li><span>The Noises He Made (moans, groans, the way he would whimper sometimes, and how he would say Daniel’s name). </span></li>
<li>
<span>Eager (always up--</span><em><span>literally-</span></em><span>- or the challenge).</span>
</li>
<li><span>Trust Exercise (if you can’t fool around with your best friend, who can you do it with?</span></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It should have been gross and messy but they cleaned up well enough, pulling their clothes back on and Johnny picking out the shirt Daniel would wind up wearing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They ended up being late to Golf N Stuff, with Johnny taunting him with a good time if they stayed behind but Daniel dismissed the offer -- he wasn’t going to miss out on the chance to move up the social ladder because they couldn’t keep it in their pants. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, he found himself lost in thought during the night, recalling the way Johnny’s hand felt on him, how he was practically fucking Daniel’s fist as he sucked another hot, angry mark on his neck. Daniel didn’t even bother trying to hide this one, which was foolish as it was the most noticeable yet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One person who pointed it out was Shannon, who just so happened to work at the arcade. She was on break, sitting in the food court with  Daniel as she munched on her free fries, which she was nice enough to share with him. “Didn’t take you to be the type,” she remarked, eyeballing the hickey with a smirk on her face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You know what they say about the quiet ones,” He mumbled, his hand rubbing the mark gently as he searched the place for any sign of Johnny. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ali had dragged him off for that magical Skee ball showdown and he hadn’t seen him since. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m impressed,” Shannon admitted at last. “I didn’t think you’d be so open with it. But then again, if a guy shows off a hickey, he’s seen as a heartthrob but if a girl does it, she’s a tramp.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel glanced at her briefly, noticing the melancholy look on her face. Even with the rumors that always spread, he tried to have the benefit of the doubt. Johnny didn’t believe a word of it, so why should he?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds kind of dumb to me,” Daniel muttered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Gee, you think?” She asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Her name was called then by a coworker, causing the girl to sigh and pull her hair back up into her uniformed visor. “See you in art, Daniel.” She said before taking her to leave. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny reappeared then, a smile on his face as he approached Daniel. “Look what I won,” he announced, pulling a soccer ball from his back. It was one of the expensive types. The hard plastic material that kept it from losing air -- the same kind Daniel used to beg his mom for back when he was a kid. Daniel could only imagine how many tickets it must have cost. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What, did they run out of giant teddy bears?” Daniel asked, taking the ball as it was handed to him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This seemed like a better investment. You’ll need something to practice with if you’re going to go out for the college team.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel had talked about joining the soccer team for ages, but every time they had tryouts he wound up making a fool of himself. Once, he was so nervous he kicked the ball way off-field, and another time he had gotten into a physical altercation with Bobby over a small shove that wasn’t even Bobby’s fault. He knew he had the skill but just couldn’t seem to prove it to anybody, other than himself and Johnny.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel hugged the soccer ball to his chest, wondering just how many tickets Johnny needed to win to get it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” He breathed, searching the area for the others. “Where is Ali?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not sure. She went off with the others after I crushed her at skeeball.” Johnny admitted, shrugging... “Are you ready to head out?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve only been here for like, an hour,” Daniel pointed out, frowning.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah but what else is there to do? I already kicked your ass in air hockey and unless you want to do the photo booth or the dumper boats, there really isn’t much left for us to do here.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t just go,” Daniel said, frow deepening. They finally got invited out by the cool kids and then they just vanish? That would result in every future invite being tossed directly into the trash.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We could go back to my place,” Johnny offered, taking a step closer “I know another type of hockey we could play,” he added, eyes falling from Daniel’s to about an inch below, his teeth digging into his bottom lip gently. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel froze, his mind deciphering what exactly it was Johnny meant when Tommy appeared before them. “Hey, we’re gonna head to the beach by Ali’s place. You guys coming?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel’s heart practically jumped through his throat at the invite. Johnny was halfway through declining the offer when Daniel quickly reassured Tommy they would be there.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a private beach, dingus. How the hell are we going to get in?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You live in the neighborhood, surely you could get us in,” Daniel said, already heading in the direction of the Avanti...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he didn’t hear Johnny behind him, he stopped, looking over his shoulder in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you coming?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny mulled it over and sighed “Danny, it’s a school night,” he said finally, like that should be enough of an explanation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And?” Daniel prompted, shrugging. “You just invited me to fool around,” he pointed out and when Johnny didn’t say anything, Daniel added, “Besides, it’s just time, right? Who cares what we do with it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny frowned at the words, and Daniel would be lying if he said he didn’t notice a shimmer of disappointment behind the other boy’s eyes. “Fine,” Johnny said, reluctant. “But we aren’t staying for long,” Johnny added in a tone that brooked no argument.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel fist pumped in victory and hightailed it to the Avanti before Johnny changed his mind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They wound up hanging out with the others for two more hours. The private beach was like nothing Daniel had ever been to--the sand was softer, the water was warmer and it wasn’t as crowded. They had a bonfire set up and Daniel spent his time chasing around the soccer ball with Bobby and a few other kids who didn’t even know his name but would learn it soon enough.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny wasn’t a fan of playing in the sand. He preferred to lay in it and read or go for a swim. It was dark, so he chose to sit by the fire, making idle conversation with those around him. The ladies flocked to him naturally, thanks to his lack of bifocals. Johnny had admitted that the contacts were a bitch to wear with how hard it was to get in and how dry they made his eyes and yet they were paying off remarkably, garnering him the attention they both eagerly sought out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One person in particular that seemed interested was Ali, not that it was any surprise to Daniel. She had the girl next door aura to her but she was as popular as they came. Of course, she would want to sink her teeth into the fresh new meat on the market. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel just wished he had been the piece on the slab. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Breaking away from the others, Daniel went to sit beside Johnny, hoping to join the conversation. “What did I miss?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ali was talking about getting into Med school,” Johnny answered, looking between the two as he sat in the middle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, well, no surprise there. I’m sure you’ll be valedictorian along with prom Queen.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I doubt that. My grades are good but not that good,” Ali laughed gently.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’ll still win prom Queen.” Daniel insisted, earning a blush from the girl. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ali cleared her throat, shifting in her seat as she touched Johnny’s knee. “Are you guys going to prom?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh definitely. Though we’re probably gonna go stag, right Johnny?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the plan,” Johnny replied through his teeth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have dates?” Ali asked curiously. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before Daniel could reply Johnny was standing up and pulling him away from the fire pit, insisting that it was getting late and that they had to leave.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you do that for?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to come off as desperate? Keep the girls wanting more, Daniel.” Johnny said, his hand on Daniel’s arm as they walked off the beach. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>More</span>
  </em>
  <span>? What more is there?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop worrying and let them handle it! Come on, I have to get you home before curfew,” Johnny said, dropping Daniel’s arm as they got to the car.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you stop pouting?” Johnny requested as they drove back to Daniel’s place. He spent the ride with his arms crossed and eyes averted to the window. “You hung out with the popular kids like you wanted to. Cross it off your list. Stop whining because I dragged you away.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hanging out with them isn’t on my list,” Daniel grumbled. He wanted to party with them. With beer, and dancing, and all that other good shit. And he wanted to be noticed. Some of the guys, including Bobby and Tommy, had been pretty good tonight as they shared around the soccer ball, but he wouldn’t really count that as being noticed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you at least have a little fun?” He asked, catching Johnny’s in the rearview mirror.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We always have fun together, Danny,” Johnny replied softly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turned into the complex than, parking the car right outside the stairs leading to Daniel’s apartment. “Are you doing anything Friday?” He asked before Daniel could get out. “My stepdad has some big premiere coming up and he has to do press for it. They’re going to New York on Friday and staying for a week or so.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re abandoning you again?” Daniel muttered. “Dude this is like child abuse or something.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well it’s either stay home or join them and I certainly don’t want to do that.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Will they be back by graduation?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not sure. Probably. I know it’s a big deal to my mom since she never went to her own.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll see if my mom will let me stay with you for the week.” Daniel offered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny nodded his head absently, his eyes lowering suddenly. He lifted his hand to reach out, his fingers grazing the mark he had made on his neck mere hours ago. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This one is going to be harder to hide,” Daniel admitted quietly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny smiled, looking awfully proud of himself. “I would apologize but I’m not that sorry.” He confessed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He leaned in then, closing the small gap between them to kiss Daniel. It was gentle, lasting only a few moments but far more innocent than any of the ones they had shared in the past few days. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The whole thing was so casual it almost shocked Daniel. How they had fallen into this routine that just seemed so normal he would never fully understand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he pulled away he was smiling and the sight made Daniel’s stomach twist into knots. “Goodnight, Danny.” He whispered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Night, John,” he replied, lingering a moment before getting out of the car and heading back home. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Baby boy has contacts! Johnny Lawrence can see everyone! </p>
<p>Friendly reminder that there is nothing wrong with wearing glasses -- I literally need them every single day. And I will have you know that Daniel prefers Johnny with the glasses on, he just hasn't realized yet. See you next week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Top Five Ways to To Suggest A Threesome</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again, thank you to StoriesOfMyLife who not only betas this but puts up with me on a daily basis crying over these beautiful idiots.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Convincing his mom to let him stay with Johnny was easier than expected. She didn’t automatically agree, still believing that leaving two seventeen-year-olds alone in a house for an extended amount of time wasn’t the brightest idea, but Daniel knew how to handle that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He knew how to butter his mom up and get her to agree to it mostly by reminding her how great of a mom she was and how shitty Sid was as a stepdad. Laura did her best, but she also knew what needed to be done to keep her rich husband happy. It sucked, but if it meant Johnny got to keep the car and go to college without having to deal with financial aid, it was worth the bullshit now and then. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At first, Lucille had offered that Johnny just stays with them, which wasn’t a horrible suggestion in retrospect. He would get home-cooked meals every night and they’d still be able to hang out, but it also meant that he’d have to sleep on the shitty trundle bed in Daniel’s already cramped bedroom. In his own home, he had a California king and more than enough space, even if the vacant mansion was cold and lonely at times. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, he got her to agree, promising that he would call her every night and not actually skip school. He had an orthodontist appointment later that week that he still had to go to, but other than that, the only activities he had to be around for were the final weeks of school. So long as he attended class and didn’t do anything stupid while being unsupervised, Lucille had no real reason to say no. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So she didn’t. With a backpack full of clothes and the demand that he call her before going to bed, Lucille drove Daniel through the gated community and to the Lawrence (Weinberg) household. Johnny was at the door, glasses stuck high up on his nose as he waved through the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll take good care of him, Lucille!” He promised, shooting her his most charming smile and as usual, his mom fell for it hook, line and sinker.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Have fun, boys! And please stay out of trouble!” Lucille called as Daniel made his way inside. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She acts like she isn’t fifteen minutes away,” Daniel muttered once the door was shut behind him. He glanced back at Johnny, who was following close behind, and it was then that he noticed that the glasses adorning his face were brand new and </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> like his old ones.   Where his old ones had been thick and bulky, the new ones were sleek and slim and they fit Johnny’s face well, making him look more like Clark Kent when we worked at The Daily Planet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In layman's terms, Johnny looked, well,</span>
  <em>
    <span> hot</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Those new?” Daniel asked, gesturing to them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny reached up, touching the dark rim of the glasses with his fingertips. “Oh, yeah. I’m still getting used to the contacts, but I have these for every day. What do you think?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They look cool. If they were tinted, you’d resemble Cyclops.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that make you Jean Grey?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I get to go Dark Phoenix?” Daniel asked, laughing as Johnny shoved him through the house. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sid’s mansion was like a playground for them when he was away. He was a film producer, so he had all kinds of Hollywood shit--dozens of movie posters signed by the cast, old movie reels for classic films. and on the top floor, he had a personal theatre where he’d sometimes bring his friends so they could watch movies before they were released. But on days like this, when Sid was nowhere in sight, they would use it to their advantage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, I think I came up with a decent selection for our movie night,” Johnny said once Daniel got settled in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There were enough rooms in the house for him to stay on his own, but he chose to share the same room with Johnny. His bed was large enough for them both and the blond certainly didn’t seem to mind the company. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“All right, lay it on me,” Daniel told him, going to lay among Johnny’s pillows. The guy slept with at least six at this point, which was a far cry compared to Daniel’s one. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“First, we have The Never Ending Story,” Johnny replied, lifting the film up to show it off. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sick. What else?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny revealed another film, one Daniel hasn't seen before. Reaching out, he skimmed the back cover of the VHS, his eyes widening when he realized what it was. “Tango and Cash? This isn’t coming out for another few months.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sid has the hookup. Who knew the prick could be so useful?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we have our winner,” Daniel decided, pushing himself off the bed so they could head to the projector room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sid had the place set up like it was a personal theatre, with movie-style seats that recline back and premier movie popcorn maker. They gathered up their snacks, which included more soda since Daniel’s mom didn’t let him have it at home, and their popcorn. Johnny started up the movie, coming back a few minutes later, the glasses have long gone from his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Contacts?” He asked as Johnny settled beside him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Still gotta get used to them, you know?” Johnny said with a shrug, blinking a few times before sitting back in his seat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had caught the trailer for Tango and Cash earlier that year and had been planning on going as soon as it came out. Both had been into the whole criminal/detective storyline for some time now and the film overall seemed rather promising. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“God, she’s a total babe,” Daniel said when Teri Hatcher began dancing on screen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, sucking the butter from his popcorn off his fingers. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel shifted in his seat, looking away from the screen to look at Johnny. “Who's hotter? Her or Kelly McGillis?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Kelly McGillis? Like the Amish lady from Witness?” Johnny asked and at Daniel’s nod, he shrugged and said, “Both are fine.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel huffed. “I know they’re fine, Johnny, but who is </span>
  <em>
    <span>finer</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think finer is a word,” Johnny grumbled, looking back up at the screen. “Her. She’s a stripper, that automatically makes her hotter.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but Kelly McGillis was also in Top Gun,” Daniel pointed out, watching as a wider smile broke across Johnny’s face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had been their movie for as long as Daniel could remember. Every Halloween they would dress up as Maverick and Iceman, shades and all. Johnny had even thought about going into the Air Force if the college hadn’t worked out for him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The best part of that film is Tom Cruise, okay,” Johnny insisted. “McGillis just got in the way of the general plot.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She was a part of the plot!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She was a love interest! Kilmer should have been the main focus,” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel shrugged, sighing softly. “You got a point there.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel looked back at the screen, catching a glimpse of Johnny watching him in the corner of his eye. He looked back, expecting the blond to blush or look away after being caught, but he just smiled, his blue eyes glistening from the contacts. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to the sight of Johnny without his glasses on. For so long he had gotten used to those bottle-capped lenses and now Johnny’s face was finally free of them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” He asked, wondering if he had something on his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing. It’s just . . . it’s different.” Johnny confessed. “I can actually see you close up.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel flushed, thankful for his tan complexion and the dark theater or else Johnny would see it and probably mock him for it. It was a simple comment, but one that meant so much to him since nobody ever really looked at Daniel. He was mostly invisible in school and when he wasn’t, he was usually being tormented for something that was out of his control. Daniel had tried his best to turn himself into someone that the girls in his school would want to have around, but the only people who seemed to pay him any mind were the other misfits of the school, like Shannon or Johnny. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Enjoying the view?” Daniel asked playfully, wagging his eyebrows in a teasing manner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, going to the second cup holder where he had stashed his mint tin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I get one?” He asked, going to place his half-eaten popcorn bag on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Last one. We’ll have to share it.” Johnny replied. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny opened the tin then, pulling out the final circular Altoid mint, placing it on his tongue. Before Daniel could ask what the deal was, Johnny leaned over and kissed him, coaxing Daniel’s lips apart so his tongue could slip inside, the mint following and falling into his cheek as a result. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny pulled off with a pop, leaving Daniel’s lips burning from the cool wintermint taste. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Daniel said, voice hoarse, watching Johnny with curious eyes while the blond continued to stare up at the screen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you thought of anything else you want to cross off your list?” Johnny asked then, seemingly casual despite the topic being something they had been working on in secret. “Big house. Big bed. Basically two weeks to ourselves. Imagine all the things we could do.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, for somebody who was pretty reluctant, you sure came around quickly enough,” Daniel said, but his heart quickened at the thought of the two of them, tangled together in that big bed, no one around to hear them if they decided to put it to use and his mouth went dry, despite the mint in his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny shrugged easily, tossing Daniel a bright smile that made his heartache just a little. “It has its perks,” He admitted and in the dim glow from the movie screen, Daniel could see the way his pale cheeks flushed and he fought back a pleased smirk. “Did your mom see any of your hickeys yet?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, thankfully, Daniel admitted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had gotten a somewhat helpful tip from Shannon, of all people, who instructed him to use a cold spoon to help the coloration go down, making it look less vicious and more just like a sweat mark or growing spot. Johnny had been a little less than pleased since he was obviously proud of the work he had done, but it was either that or face the wrath of his mother. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll have to be a bit more careful,” Daniel went on to say, noticing how Johnny’s own neck was spot-free. “Kiss places no one else sees.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel snorted, glancing back to Johnny as his eyes flickered to the screen once more, momentarily forgetting the movie was still going on. “Like where?” He asked, finding that Johnny was once again watching him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a hungry look in his glimmering eyes, one Daniel hadn’t recognized in Johnny before. He felt something touch him then and looked down to see Johnny’s hand on his knee, his thumb running back and forth repeatedly, circling almost rhythmically and it sent a shiver racing down his spine, lower belly pooling with heat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wanna try it out and see?” Johnny asked quietly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They let the projector play on, stealing one last look of Kurt Russel before sneaking off to Johnny’s room. Making out had become nothing new to them. They had found a pattern that worked best for them, usually leading to Daniel laying down with Johnny on top of him. It worked out best with their height difference and gave them both a chance to get the hang of it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This time around, however, Johnny was quick to remove Daniel’s clothing rather than his own, taking the lead once again as he began to kiss down his body, exploring the exposed skin. He was moving carefully, almost acts like he had mapped out Daniel’s body in his mind and was merely following the trail. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He moved down from Daniel’s collarbone to his pecs, letting his mouth suck and tongue lap up every curve of him. Daniel hadn’t thought much of his body, knowing that he was only seventeen and he had a long way to go, but he was lean and had some decent muscle to him. He never thought he would enjoy feeling someone touch him like this, but he’d be lying if he said his toes didn’t curl and his hips didn’t jerk to the feeling of Johnny’s lips around his nipple. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny seemed to notice this and took his sweet time making another sharp mark right there on his left breast bone. He pulled away with a satisfactory smile, his tongue leaving a wet trail down to Daniel’s navel as his fingers began to creep inside the hem of Daniel’s boxers. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel jerked forward suddenly, going to sit up in his arms as he pushed Johnny away. “Hey. It’s alright, we can stop.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop? Why?” Johnny asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why indeed. Daniel hadn’t thought of a lot of sexual acts, he didn’t bother to look up their names or learn the terminology, but now that he was getting involved with someone, he began to wonder about it more often. He had never come up with a list, but if he had, it would be the following:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Sexual Acts Daniel Wants To Try Before He Dies </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Actual Sex (penetration, duh)</span></li>
<li><span>Hand Job</span></li>
<li><span>Blow Job (receiving)</span></li>
<li><span>Threesome (Kelly McGillis&amp;Val Kilmer)</span></li>
<li><span>69 (hot, hot, hot)</span></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of those things he had already done, thanks to Johnny, but now that the chance was there, Daniel was beginning to have second thoughts. He could talk a big game, but there was a big difference between just fooling around and doing a full sexual act. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sure, jerking one another off was a bit more than foreplay, but if Johnny was going to do what Daniel thought he was going to do, there was a huge line they were about to cross.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This isn’t exactly something I can reciprocate, Johnny.” Daniel reminded him, bearing his teeth to show off the blue and red braces. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Making out was one thing, but there was no way he’d be able to carry on an act like that with those in his mouth. He had been so worried about accidentally cutting Johnny’s tongue, if he managed to do anything to his dick, Daniel would put himself out of his misery as quickly as possible. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do anything. This is for you.” Johnny insisted, moving Daniel’s boxers down a bit more. “I want you to enjoy this.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, so I can be ready for the real deal?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel swallowed hard, trying to convince himself that this wasn’t the real deal and that they were just playing pretend. How do you just pretend to suck a guy off? How do you pretend like crossing that barrier isn’t going beyond the point of no return? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny licked his lips then, his fingertips leaving his fingers to trace along the outside of Daniel’s dick. It was baffling how gentle he could be even in such a simple motion. “It’s as real as we make it, Danny.” He whispered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny kissed him then, slowly as his tongue licked around his mouth, completely unbothered by the braces attached to his teeth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you want me to stop, I’ll stop. But I want to.” Johnny swore, his eyes flickering to Daniel’s as he pulled away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel could have easily pushed him away and said they had gone far enough. That this whole practice thing was getting way out of hand because no longer was Daniel thinking of Bo Derek, or Kelly McGillis, or even Ali Mills when Johnny had his hands on him. Instead, his mind was completely focused on the task at hand and the blond-haired Adonis on top of him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Daniel kissed him once more, closing his eyes as Johnny moved downwards once more, tugging at Daniel’s boxers until he was free, the cool air hitting him suddenly, making him shiver. Johnny’s hand was on him in seconds and he was quick to find that familiar pace they had both gotten used to. The slight twist of the hand, the way his thumb massaged against his sack as he went from the very top to the flat bottom. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He took Daniel into his mouth slowly, his tongue lapping at the head, tasting the early leaking of his release before moving a bit further. Daniel told himself to keep his eyes closed as he feared the sight would be too much for him to handle, but he was a weak man and had to catch a glimpse. Johnny’s cheeks were hallowed in as he moved up and down him, only going halfway and letting his hand do the rest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His mouth was wet and warm, so different from any sock or even baseball mit Daniel had used in the past. His hand could only do so much and while Johnny’s own fist worked wonders on him, he quickly found a second home for himself inside his friend’s mouth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He tried to think of things to keep himself from exploding right then and there, closing his eyes and imagining riding his bike or getting hit by a wave while attempting to surf because now and then Johnny would drag him to the water and try to teach him. He imagined the saltwater in his mouth, though that only led to him thinking of the salty taste of the butter on the popcorn, which led to the image of Johnny licking the butter off his fingers, resulting in him thinking of how Johnny licked the cum off his fingers the first time he jerked him off. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>An audible moan left his lips, one he tried to smother by biting down on his lips. He felt Johnny touching his second hand then, his eyes alert as he looked up from where he was on his knees. It was a dark sight, seeing Johnny like this, one that proved just how much of a loyal and decent friend he was to Daniel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hummed around Daniel, the vibration running straight up Daniel’s spine, causing him to cry out for a second time. He was thankful for the empty house, giving them the chance to be as loud and lewd as they needed to be. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He felt Johnny twisting their hands, then interlocking their fingers for a tight hold. Daniel gripped his hand, holding onto it as Johnny continued to drag him to where he needed to be. Johnny popped off just before he came, using his hand to finish the job. He came with a whimper, covering Johnny’s hand for the third time since they started this mess. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He watched with hooded eyes as Johnny licked his hand once again, lapping the mess Daniel had created before going to sit back on the bed. Daniel was sure he was starving by this point, his eyes lingering on Johnny’s lips which were red and glistening from a job well done. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How . . . the fuck did you do that?” Daniel asked breathlessly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He half expected Johnny to reveal that Sid had some wicked porn collection that he kept hidden until Johnny stumbled upon it or for him to reveal some fucked up summer camp tale, but instead he just shrugged, going to wipe his hand clean on his tee-shirt. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Read about it in a book,” Johnny replied, smirking as Daniel collapsed in defeat and ecstasy. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Nah, but they're just friends, okay. </p>
<p>Thank you all again for tuning in, it truly means a lot to me. Lemme know what you thought about this chapter in the comments. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Top Five Songs To Rub Fronts To</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This entire chapter wouldn't be what it is without the wonderful talents of StoriesOfMyLife! Truly, you are a godsend and a fantastic friend, I can not thank you enough!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daniel and Johnny settled into a good rhythm during their first few days together. Daniel had spent the night at the mansion dozens of times but never for an extended period--usually, it was just for a night or two when Johnny had the house to himself or Sid was out of town so his mom wanted to entertain Johnny’s one and only friend--but this time it was just them, meaning they had to actually take care of themselves. Johnny insisted it was a good practice head start for when they were in college, rooming together without any parents around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, Johnny--who was the earlier riser of the two and liked to greet the sun by working out in the home gym or taking a dip in the pool--would cook them breakfast in the morning, and Daniel--who was a normal human being and liked sleeping in until the last possible second--would cook them dinner at night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel would wake to the smell of bacon and eggs every morning--a far cry from the cereal he was usually served in his own home--and the sight of Johnny, in nothing but a pair of sweats, bent over the stove as he coaxed their breakfast to completion with a single-minded focus that he usually reserved for his homework or, more recently, getting Daniel off. He’d greet Daniel with a soft, sleepy smile that did weird things to Daniel’s belly that he blamed on hunger before he’d bring his attention back to the pan, making sure their eggs didn’t burn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(And if Daniel spent a few extra minutes admiring the view, well, that was his little secret that no one had to know).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They would eat and head to school, going about their usual routine of classes and dodging Dutch and his merry band of assholes, and then they’d meet back up at the end of the day so they could go back to the house and work on whatever homework they had to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that, Daniel would wander down to the kitchen and cook them dinner, something he was rather proud of since his mom was an excellent cook and he had been taught all the traditional Italian recipes that have been passed through his family for generations. He knew he could never do it professionally, but he liked the idea of creating something new in the kitchen and he especially liked the sounds Johnny made when he tried Nonna’s spaghetti recipe for the first time. The noises he’d made had been downright </span>
  <em>
    <span>sinful.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It also made Daniel feel warm inside, knowing that Johnny enjoyed his cooking so much. Laura had been a decent cook but after marrying Sid, who had a personal chef as well as a housekeeper, there wasn’t a need for her to lift a finger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Johnny had told the staff to have the week off once Sid left, promising he’d say they stuck around so they could keep their paycheck. That way they had the privacy they wanted and the staff got to have a week of paid vacation away from Sid and his antics.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And it was nice, being able to have the house to themselves, especially when they were done with dinner, Johnny would flip the kitchen radio on and they’d sing along to it as they did the dishes together before wandering back upstairs to find something to do for the rest of the night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sometimes they would watch movies in the theatre while other times, they’d hang out in Johnny’s room, listening to music. They had stopped off at Daniel’s place to grab his record collection and Daniel promised not to bail on going to the record store that Wednesday. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a trusted tradition for them, one that Daniel knew Johnny held dear on account of still being pissy about missing out last week so they could go to Golf N Stuff. And that Wednesday, when they walked through the doors of the record store, they were greeted by the same clerk who was always a little too eager to have young, fresh faces in the store. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Howdy, boys,” Iona drawled from her spot behind the counter. “What can I do you for?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Iona,” Johnny responded. “We’re here to check out the backroom, see what’s new.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And to see you, of course,” Daniel added with a flirty grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona raised a heavily penciled brow. “Is that so? Well, in that case, consider me charmed,” She said dryly. Johnny snorted beside him and Daniel refrained from elbowing him in the ribs. Rolling her eyes, Iona waved a hand, “You know where it is. Knock yourselves out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Iona,” Johnny said with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have fun,” She said, glancing back down to her magazine. “But not too much,” she added with a wink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel flushed and let Johny drag him along the aisles of records. Daniel paused in front of a bin with new releases while Johnny wandered further down the row.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So should I go with the AC/DC album poster or the Robert Plant solo picture?” Johnny called from across the way, gesturing to the two choices hanging on the wall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought your Stepdad said no more posters?” Daniel asked, remembering how Johnny had to practically hold back tears after Sid ripped down his Aladdin Sane poster.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s for our dorm,” Johnny answered and suddenly Daniel was thinking of the possibilities of them sharing a room. The posters they could have on the walls and the Playboy Bunny calendar his uncle had gotten him for the upcoming year that he had to hide because his mom thought it was crude and sexist. The beers they could sneak and the snacks they could eat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the fooling around they could do, but that's beside the point.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, in that case, go with Robert Plant. And see if they have any Springsteen!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny offered a thumbs-up as he went to collect the Robert Plant poster, leaving Daniel to roam into the discount section.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the stuff they were planning on getting rid of now that they got a new shipment in. Usually, they would let you bundle it up or pay a buck per record, depending on the quality of it. The last time they went, Daniel was able to go home with a gently used Bruce Springsteen record that even his mom was happy to play around the apartment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While they both had a wide taste in music, classic rock or metal was Johnny’s personal preference. In fact, their friendship had been based on music, as it was how they first started talking. They had met the very first day at school, both outcasts with no one to sit with at lunch so they both wound up sitting in the bleachers by the football field, eating alone separately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny had his walkman playing loud enough for Daniel to hear -- the gentle sounds of The Beatles blasting out from the headphones was far too recognizable for Daniel to ignore. He took the chance and approached him and they had been friends ever since. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had made countless lists together--</span>
  <em>
    <span>Top Five Songs Of Our Generation, Top Five Classic Rock Albums, Top Five Classic Metal Albums</span>
  </em>
  <span>--and it went on and on. Music was literally the backbone of their friendship. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny would never admit it, but he did have a love for pop music, having his own Cyndi Lauper collection that he snuck to Daniel’s place after buying it so they could listen to it together. Still, there was one specific record that Johnny had been searching for since first getting into the genre and that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Houses of the Holy</span>
  </em>
  <span> by Led Zeppelin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t their greatest album to date, but it was popular enough to be sold out nearly every time they got a shipment in. Johnny had told Daniel that back when it was just him and his mom she would play him old records to help him fall asleep and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Houses of the Holy </span>
  </em>
  <span>happened to be one of those records, along with a handful from Elton John. When she married Sid, the old bastard tossed them out, leaving behind a piece of Johnny’s childhood and one of the few good memories he had. He had been looking for a replacement ever since, but his hand came up empty-handed for a while now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, however, it seemed like fate was on their side. Johnny was talking to Iona, who was showing off her latest clothing choice, and chatting to Johnny about the new Tears for Fears album when Daniel saw it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was buried behind a collection of Moody Blues and Talking Heads, so far back that Daniel would have missed it if he didn’t recognize the cover. It had clearly been preowned, but so long as it played, that was all that mattered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Johnny finally broke away from the conversation and went to rummage for himself, Daniel made his way up to the counter, speaking as quietly as possible so as not to alert Johnny of his whereabouts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, what do we have here? Good choice, young man. Personally, I’m more of a Stones fans person, but Zeppelin certainly knows what they’re doing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was in the dollar bin section. Is it going to play?” Daniel asked, earning a pointed glare from Iona.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Young man--Daniel, is it?--Danny boy, here at TRAX, we pride ourselves in quality music. Now, if I went around selling records that skipped or CDs with scratches on them, I would be reported to the Better Business Bureau and we don’t want to mess around with them. So, trust me when I say, whether this record was found in the dollar bin or hanging on the wall with a </span>
  <b>Do Not Touch</b>
  <span> sign, it will play.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Daniel muttered, taken back a little by her speech. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona hummed, proud of her sales pitch as she began to ring him up. Spotting Johnny making his way back over, Daniel grabbed the first record he spotted, tossing it on top of the pile to conceal his find. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, find anything good?” Johnny asked, going to Daniel’s side to catch a glimpse of his choices. He raised a brow as Daniel handed over the money. “Did you seriously just buy an </span>
  <em>
    <span>ABBA</span>
  </em>
  <span> album?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a good investment,” Daniel replied, glancing at Iona, hoping he was giving off enough silent energy through his eyes alone to get her to keep quiet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For what, when disco comes back from the dead?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Disco never died in the first place,” Iona said sharply, handing Daniel his change as well as his bag, which had the Zeppelin album tucked underneath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you say so,” Johnny replied, rolling his eyes at the comment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you next week, boys.” She called out, earning shouts of thanks and goodbyes from both boys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel was practically bouncing in his seat during the car ride home and while he had initially planned on waiting until graduation to surprise Johnny with the album, Daniel couldn’t handle the suspense and forced Johnny to go into the living room so they could sit on the big fancy white couch that Sid never let them sit on whenever he was around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apparently, the thing was expensive as hell, which just seemed pointless. What was the point of actually having a couch if people weren’t allowed to sit on it? Neither boy gave much care and Daniel forced Johnny to close his eyes as he placed the record carefully into his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny was speechless upon first sight, looking back and forth between Daniel and the cover repeatedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was in the dollar bin selection, so it’s been used a couple of times, but Iona swears it will work. I’m sure if it doesn’t, I can get my money back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you remembered this,” Johnny confessed, holding the record to his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How could I not? You’ve been on a mission to find it since TRAX first opened,” Daniel said, biting his lip as he looked over his best friend. He was holding the record so closely as if it would burst into flames if he put it down. “Should we play it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Yeah! Yes. Let’s give it a try.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They blasted it through the house, both going on and on about how good the music was and how Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were musical geniuses. They did this for the first few songs before crashing back onto the couch, sitting close together as they just listened to the music. They got through the entire album before Daniel hopped up so restart it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny was a bit quieter the second time around, taking Daniel’s hand in his own at one point to toy with his fingers as </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Rain Song</span>
  </em>
  <span> played on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you again for getting it,” Johnny told him, his cheeks turning scarlet as he turned his hand to glance over. “I know it was a simple gesture, but it was nice.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just happy it played,” Daniel confessed, relaxing back comfortably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat there for a good while, hands still touching as the music played out until Johnny made the first move of the night, pressing his lips to Daniel’s cheek for a gentle kiss. His nose ran along Daniel’s cheek and as he exhaled the warm hair tickled the back of Daniel’s neck, causing him to shiver. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long until Daniel was turning his head, meeting Johnny’s lips for his own and their hands breaking apart so they could wander to other places. Clothes came off, tossed carelessly through the living room as they shifted to lay on the couch rather than sit and the two wound up rubbing fronts right there on the couch as </span>
  <em>
    <span>D’yer Maker</span>
  </em>
  <span> played out around them through Johnny’s stereo system. The grainy sound of the turntable just brought out a fever in them, becoming the perfect soundtrack to their sexescapades. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stripped down to their boxers as things were getting hot and heavy, though sex wasn’t at the forefront of their minds. It felt good, but there was no push to do more. Sure, it was bound to happen as they made out and rocked their cotton clad hard-ons against one another, but there wasn’t the constant need to do more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Some PG13 (maybe NC17, Daniel didn’t really know the ratings that well) fooling around was enough for them, at least for tonight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They laughed about it afterward, then they were spent and tired, wearing nothing but their boxers and draped in the throw that Laura kept on the couch. The record was no longer playing, leaving them alone with the echoing silence that constantly filled the mansion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you think good old Sid would feel about you fooling around on his white couch?” Daniel asked quietly, his fingers carding through Johnny’s hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny had been talking about growing it out for some time and while it still had the perfect “boy next door” length to it he hoped that once they got to UCLA he got brave enough to let it get a bit longer. For long it was just long enough for Daniel to grip, which he had done a couple of times that night, especially when Johnny swiveled his hips a certain way, rubbing against Daniel in a slow, heavy pattern.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny hummed, lifting his head just slightly so he could rest his chin on Daniel’s chest. “Proud,” he replied ironically. “Maybe he’d actually think I was a man then if he knew I was almost getting laid while he was away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel wondered what Sid would think if he knew the person Johnny was messing around with was him. If he would find it predictable or surprised that Laura’s son would stoop so low. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stayed like that for a while, eventually deciding to head back upstairs, leaving their clothes scattered for the fun of it. Not like they had anybody to dress up for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fooling around wasn’t the only thing they did during his stay. They did that for sure, having both grown confident enough to accept that whatever it was they were doing wasn't so bad. Johnny would kiss him sometimes in the kitchen, in a way that was so gentle and innocent it seemed natural. When they would settle in the theatre to watch a movie Daniel would shift closer until he was pressed against Johnny, letting the other boy wrap his arms around his shoulder so they could huddle together making quick commentary on the flick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One night they didn’t do a thing. It was the first time they were alone together since they started this whole masquerade where they weren’t jumping down each other’s throats or trying to touch one another’s dick. They worked on their English assignment, passing their essays back and forth to one another so they could fix certain things or make small adjustments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny was wearing his glasses as they did their work and Daniel was quick to tease him, constantly pushing them up to his face as they fell to his nose. He looked so studious and certain as he concentrated that Daniel had to fight the urge to kiss him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a pretty good night until the topic of prom came up. Daniel had chosen to wear his dad’s old suits while Johnny’s mom had one picked out for him. The contrasting blue and red were on-brand for the two and Daniel was sure they were going to look great. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Being stylish wasn’t the issue here but rather what they would do once they were on the dance floor. “You can’t just jump around like a fish out of water,” Johnny argued, knowing damn well that Daniel didn’t dance like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like you’re some professional,” Daniel grumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, but who is the one constantly being asked to dance at the country club events?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel rolled his eyes. “Yeah, by little old ladies who wanna squeeze your ass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Regardless of that, I know how to dance, Larusso. And if you stop bitching, I’ll teach you, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel watched as Johnny got up off the bed, rummaging around with Daniel’s record collection until he finally found one he seemed pleased with. “Speedwagon? You want to dance to them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah! Right amount of groove to their music. Now come here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel grumbled but got off the bed anyway, going to stand in front of Johnny. The blond moved carefully, setting Daniel’s hands on his shoulders, while his own settled at Daniel’s waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s simple, Danny. Just sway to the music,” Johnny encouraged, moving back and forth slowly, humming softly along to the song.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel followed along well enough, snorting as Johnny took his hand, stepping out so he would twirl Daniel into him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cute, John, but if I’m dancing with a girl don’t you think I should be the one leading?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny sighed dramatically, releasing his hold on the brunet. “All right. Lead then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel froze for a moment before stepping in closer to the other boy. He draped Johnny’s arms over his shoulders, his hands holding onto Johnny’s hips as they moved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Normally, I like you stiff but you kind of have to relax here Danny,” Johnny murmured teasingly, warm breath tickling the side of his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel groaned, breaking away from Johnny so he could jump up and down, releasing the tension in his shoulders and spine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny watched him with barely concealed amusement before he turned his attention to the record player, fumbling around for a minute as he switched records out and setting it to a new song. The needle scratched over the new record for a few seconds before the song began to play and Daniel recognized the soulful rasp of the female singer’s voice and the bluesy lick of the drums almost immediately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Something told me it was over (yeah), </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When I saw you and her talking,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Something deep down in my soul said, “cry girl,” (cry, cry)</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When I saw you and that girl walking, now</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come here,” Johnny instructed softly, taking Daniel’s hand in his own, tugging him close and Daniel followed without complaint. Johnny gave him a gentle smile as he began to sway them in a slow circle, their footsteps whisper-soft over the plush carpet of Johnny’s room. “It’s just dancing, all right? Don’t overthink it. Don’t count your steps. Just sway with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel swallowed heavily, but he nodded, wondering absently why he felt so nervous all of a sudden.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you so confident about this?” Daniel asked him, glancing down at his feet to make sure he didn’t step on Johnny’s toes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt the flex of Johnny’s muscles in his shoulder when he shrugged, giving Daniel’s hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s just us, Danny,” Johnny reminded quietly. “Just you and me, no one else.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel took a deep breath and mentally shook himself,  telling himself that it was fine. This was just Johnny, right? That’s all it was. Just him and Johnny, in Johnny’s room, with no else around to see or ridicule them. He was safe here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That thought gave him the confidence to step further into Johnny’s hole, close enough to feel the heat of his body through the worn material of his favorite Zeppelin shirt, smell the faded cologne on Johnny’s skin. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Johnny’s shoulder, shivering when Johnny nuzzled into the crook of his neck, his breath warm, voice low and raspy as he whispered the lyrics of the song in Daniel’s ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh, I would rather, I would rather go, blind boy,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then to see you, walk away from me child, no</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh, so you see, I love you so much</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That I don't want to watch you leave me, babe</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Most of all, I just don't</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I just don't want to be free no, ooh ooh</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mom and dad used to dance to this when I was little,” Daniel admitted quietly, pulling back to look at Johnny. “In our tiny kitchen, my dad used to swing my mom around and sing her the lyrics.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a good song. They had good taste,” Johnny told him softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel’s smile was rueful when he said, “Yeah, they did.” He huffed a soft laugh. “My dad was a terrible singer, but my mom never cared. The way she looked at him…” He trailed off, swallowing heavily. “It was like she was front row at a Sinatra concert, you know? She didn’t care that his singing was bad or that he stepped on her toes every once in a while, it was just the fact that he’d do anything to make her smile. To make her happy,” He blinked, glancing down at their socked feet. “I want that, someday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I was just, I was just, I was just sitting here thinking</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of your kiss and your warm embrace, yeah</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Danny,” Johnny murmured. “Look at me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hesitantly, Daniel met Johnny’s gaze, breath catching, unbidden, in his throat. It caught him off guard sometimes, just how blue Johnny’s eyes were. Even behind the lenses of his glasses, his eyes were a startling cerulean and they glimmered underneath the soft glow of the lamp on Johnny’s nightstand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And babe, baby (baby, baby, baby) I'd rather</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'd rather be a blind boy</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have that someday,” Johnny said quietly, insistently. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in a way that brought attention to the smooth column of pale throat and Daniel had the wild urge to track the movement with his lips. “One day, a girl will come along and she’ll see just what a great guy you are. Because you are, Danny, you’re an amazing guy and any girl would be lucky to have you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was nothing that Johnny hadn’t told him before, but it was the way he said it--so strongly, so sure of himself--that it made his heart swell and his belly flood with warmth. He could feel the flush in his cheeks and he willed it away, feeling like a girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You, too, John,” Daniel said, giving Johnny a soft smile. “Any girl would be lucky to have you, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something flickered through Johnny’s eyes, something sad and almost wistful, but before Daniel would really think about it too much, Johnny’s grip tightened on his hip and he tugged him closer, back into the warmth of his embrace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe,” Johnny murmured. “Thanks, Danny.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel smiled, tugging affectionately at the soft hair of Johnny’s neck. “Anytime, John.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'd rather be a blind boy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then to see you walk away, see you walk away from me, yeah, ooh</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel was the first to pull away once the song ended, with Johnny holding on for a spare moment before releasing him. Their fingers linked for a moment after, keeping the two connected as the song played out. Finally, when the music stopped and only the sound of the record turning filled the air did Daniel finally let go, turning the player off for the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think they’ll play music like that at prom?” Daniel asked, going to gather the clothes he chose to sleep in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Johnny took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes roughly with his knuckles. “I don’t know, Danny.” He muttered before going to change for the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daniel was wearing Johnny’s favorite Metallic shirt to bed since he forgot to pack enough sleep clothes and Johnny was wearing pajama pants and no top. It was a sight he had grown accustomed to seeing so it was no shock as they sat in bed together, shoulder to shoulder until it grew too late to even function.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they went to bed, they had the central air blasting, sending a delightful chill into the room. Daniel always went full starfish on Johnny’s bed since it was so big but this one he was curled against the pillow, accepting the body heat that was radiating off him. Johnny’s arm was around him, his fingers drawing gentle circles on his back as they both drifted off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the back of Daniel’s mind, he knew how this looked. How disgustingly domestic it played out but he just couldn’t find himself able to care. The way they flowed together so easily, he found no reason to second guess himself and ruin a good thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least, not yet anyway. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Once again, thank you to StoriesOfMyLife. Not only would this fic be unreadable without her, but it probably would even exist.</p><p>I finally figured out how many chapters this story will have, so lookout for the next four Mondays. Until then, tell me how you spend your Valentine's Day in the comments!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Top Five Things To Smile About</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>EVERYBODY THANK STORIESOFMYLIFE FOR THIS! At this point, she deserves a co-writer credit because without her this would be readable so everybody keeps her in your thoughts while you explore this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Daniel was a little less than thrilled to visit the orthodontist, especially since he knew what was in store for him. Another cleaning, another tightening. His teeth just weren’t adjusting the way the doctor wanted them to and while he was no longer having to wear the headgear, he was still forced to deal with the same metal in his mouth that he had for years.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny tried to cheer him up, suggesting that maybe he could pick some different colors or something. Daniel was pouting about the whole thing the morning of his appointment. He was skipping school to hang out with his mom before his appointment which meant Johnny was on his own. They enjoyed breakfast together, with the blond promising to buy Daniel ice cream for later since he knew his jaw was going to hurt quite a bit. </p><p> </p><p>It was a small victory for an already shitty day and he accepted a kiss on the cheek as Johnny dropped him off at home before going to school. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel was happy to see his mom after a few days apart, even if he did call her every night as she had requested. He wondered how she was going to handle herself once he was off to college, living in a dorm all the way across town. He wondered if she would be able to keep herself busy or if maybe having him out of the apartment she’d get around to dating again.</p><p> </p><p>His parents were high school sweethearts and had married young. Daniel came along not much later and they raised him until his dad died of cancer when Daniel was just a kid. They left him and the rest of their family behind in New Jersey the summer before freshman year and while Lucille swore she’d never fall in love again, even Daniel knew to never say never.</p><p> </p><p>They sat together at the diner, eating their lunch as Daniel enjoyed his last enjoyable meal of the week before his jaw went back to hurting, and talking became a bitch for him. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you really trying to sell me off like some kind of cattle?” Lucille asked, only partially teasing.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not like that, ma. I just want you to know, you know, if you ever met somebody I’d be cool with it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Cool with it huh? And it’s good to be cool?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it’s good to be cool, ma.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well if I ever meet a guy who knocks my socks off as your father did — which is unlikely — I’ll make sure he’s cool enough before introducing you,” Lucille promised, taking a slow sip from her coffee. “What about you? Am I ever gonna get to see my baby boy in a relationship?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not for lack of trying,” Daniel muttered, slouching down in his seat. </p><p> </p><p>“California girls are picky, Daniel. They want rich boys with thick wallets filled with their daddy’s credit cards,” Lucille insisted promptly. “At least you’ll always have Johnny, right? He’s a handsome face I would like to keep around.” </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think Johnny is cool enough for you, ma.” </p><p> </p><p>Lucille laughed, nudging Daniel’s leg with her foot. “Not me, silly! <em> You. </em>” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel hummed, popping another fry into his mouth. Johnny had been there since the beginning, practically from the moment they got settled in this god-forsaken down, and any half-decent memory Daniel had since his dad died was thanks to having Johnny by his side. Pretty face or not, Daniel wasn’t letting him go anytime soon. </p><p> </p><p>“Johnny’s not going anywhere, ma,” Daniel promised, going back to finish his meal.</p><p> </p><p>The wait in the orthodontist office was killer, and Daniel found himself pacing back and forth, following the swimming pattern of the fish in the tank just to keep his nerves at bay...</p><p> </p><p>When it was his turn, he followed the nurse inside, letting her check him up and clean around his braces before the orthodontist made his way inside.</p><p> </p><p>It was the same as every other check-up, with the doctor checking out his old scans and seeing how he has improved or gotten worse. This time around, however, the doctor was taking his sweet time looking at the chart, finally deciding on the next move after a long while of making notes and checking boxes.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Daniel, it seems like all that hard work has finally paid off,” he announced holding up the latest scan of his teeth. “All straight and in line just the way we like it.”</p><p> </p><p>“So we don’t have to tighten them?” Daniel asked, sighing in relief as he leaned back in the dentist chair,</p><p> </p><p>“On the contrary, I think it’s time we finally get these bad boys off of you.” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel nearly fell out of his seat when he heard the words, the paper clipped to his chest crinkling in the process. “<em>What?! </em>”</p><p> </p><p>“And just in time for graduation photos! You’ll have to smile wide when you get your diploma.”</p><p> </p><p>The whole procedure only took a few minutes, though to Daniel it was a lifetime away. There were little cuts and snaps and when it was finally finished he left the literal and figurative weight lifted off his jaw as the dentist pulled back. </p><p> </p><p>He was only mildly sore, but it was easily ignored as his tongue continued to run along with his naked teeth for the first time since he was twelve.</p><p> </p><p>There were guidelines he had to follow and a retainer he had to wear at night but other than that, he was scott free. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel was once again bouncing in his seat on the way back to Johnny’s place. Daniel had never expected to be able to live like this, at least not any time soon. He always dreamed about it happening, coming up with all the things he wanted to do once his mouth was free of the metal and plastic: </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Top Five Things Daniel Wanted To Do Once His Braces Were Off  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<ol>
<li>Chew Gum (his teeth were fucked up by birth, not sugar. He hadn’t had gum in years). </li>
<li>Run His Tongue Along with His Teeth (no weird wires!)</li>
<li>Eat Tricky Food (corn, ribs, apples).</li>
<li>Smile (and be proud of it)</li>
</ol><p> </p><p>Daniel paused when he realized what the fifth thing was, his fingers jittering with excitement. </p><p> </p><p>“And you’re sure you don’t want to come home tonight? I don’t want you having any nightmares from the stress of this.” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel rolled his eyes, because of <em>really ma</em>? Daniel hadn’t had stress nightmares in years! All right, so maybe he had trouble sleeping after his dad died, but that was different. And maybe right when school was starting he had some tossing and turning, so not since Freshman year! That’s still pretty impressive if you asked him. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve lived a nightmare for the past five years, mom, this is a dream come true.” He insisted as they approached Johnny’s place. </p><p> </p><p>“Call me tonight!” She shouted, watching him scurry back inside, using the key Johnny had given him to let himself in. </p><p> </p><p>He shouted Johnny’s name through the hallowed halls only to get no reply. The car was still in the driveway so it wasn’t like he had gone out after school. Daniel checked both bedrooms as well as the theater, coming up empty on all accounts. </p><p> </p><p>He checked the living room and the kitchen, finding the blond nowhere in sight. Only when he passed by the backyard leading to the pool did he spot him, lounging out beside the pool.</p><p> </p><p>He was wearing nothing more than his swim trunks, sunglasses, and his black headphones which were plugged into his Walkman resting on his bare stomach. His skin was practically glistening in the sun and it made Daniel’s stomach twist as he approached. </p><p> </p><p>He looked so relaxed and unbothered, enjoying the warm sun on his skin after a dip in the pool. Daniel’s apartment complex had a pool, but it wasn’t functional--meaning any time he wanted to swim, he had to either jump into the ocean or mooch off of Johnny’s. Luckily, the blond never seemed to mind and had invited Daniel in for a dip the very first day they met.</p><p> </p><p>The gentle sound of Bananarama played loud enough through the headphones for Daniel to hear. He would comment on that later, knowing damn well Johnny had been hiding that tape from him since he had only previously commented about how lame of a band they were.</p><p> </p><p>Daniel straddled the chair, sitting on Johnny’s lap and frightening the poor bastard half to death in the process. </p><p> </p><p>“Jesus! Warn a guy will ya?” He demanded, pulling his headphones off.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny pulled the RayBans off and settled them on top of his head, squinting as he sat up properly. Daniel could already tell he didn’t have his contacts in, which wasn’t surprising since he never bothered bringing his glasses out when he went swimming or tan. </p><p> </p><p>“How did it go at the dentist?” He asked curiously. “Did you pick any new colors?” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel didn’t answer the questions. Instead, he took hold of Johnny’s face in his hands, holding him still as he leaned in to kiss him. </p><p> </p><p>It was a rough kiss, filled with need and hunger and the blond was momentarily caught off guard, but quickly adjusted himself, his hands falling to Daniel’s hips to pull him in close.</p><p> </p><p>When Daniel pulled away, he was smiling, revealing his bare white teeth to Johnny. It only took a few seconds for the sight to register and if Daniel hadn’t been on top of him he would have probably jumped right out of his seat.</p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit!” </p><p> </p><p>“I know.” </p><p> </p><p>“They’re <em> gone </em>!” </p><p> </p><p>“I know, dude!” he repeated. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny reached up, pressing his fingers into Daniel’s mouth to tap his nails against his teeth. It was so fresh and new, and Daniel was quick to wrap his lips around the digits, sucking on them playfully before popping off with a grin. </p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe they’re gone,” Johnny murmured, squeezing Daniel’s hip with his other hand. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel dipped his head again, kissing Johnny slowly. He gave the blond time to explore, feeling his tongue sip into his mouth, the tip l searching, probing, tapping playfully against his teeth before pulling away. </p><p> </p><p>“How’s it feel?” Daniel inquired. </p><p> </p><p>“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Different. But awesome,” Daniel decided.</p><p> </p><p>“We should celebrate,” Johnny announced. “I got your ice cream. We could splurge and share a bowl.” </p><p> </p><p>The ice cream did sound tempting and Daniel was sure they would grab some later, but right now, he was a man on a mission. </p><p> </p><p>“There is something else I want to put in my mouth,” Daniel confessed to him. </p><p> </p><p>He had been thinking of it on the ride home, as he continued to touch his teeth with his fingers, sucking on it slowly, he thought of the one thing Johnny had done for him that Daniel didn’t get to reciprocate due to his own immature worrying thanks to the braces. </p><p> </p><p>But now they were gone and Daniel was free to worry no longer.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny was the number one spot on that list now. </p><p> </p><p>“Something sweet, and sticky, and hot,” Daniel whispered, watching as Johnny swallowed hard and felt just how much his words affected the blond. </p><p> </p><p>As he stood, he tugged on Johnny’s hand, urging him to follow, which he did, leaving the Walkman and sunglasses behind on the chaise lounge. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny was kissing him the moment they got inside, both boys stumbling blindly through the house and towards the kitchen. </p><p> </p><p>“Wait, Danny hanging on. I need my glasses.” He insisted, pausing as they got to the kitchen. He searched the island, with Daniel finding them hidden underneath the newspaper.</p><p> </p><p>He slid them on Johnny’s face, allowing his eyes to adjust before slinking to the floor. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god,” Johnny whispered, his eyes wide behind his glasses.</p><p> </p><p>“I actually haven’t found any books on the <em> Art of The Fellatio </em>so you’ll have to bear with me here,” Daniel told him, laughing nervously as he tried to keep his cool.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t every day you were given the chance to repay someone for their selfless act and the last thing Daniel wanted to do was make a fool of himself.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to,” Johnny protested, pulling away slightly.</p><p> </p><p>But Daniel stopped him, gripping his hips to keep him from leaving the spot he was standing in. </p><p> </p><p>“I can’t be that bad, right?” He said with a shrug, tugging Johnny’s swim drinks down to release him.</p><p> </p><p>Daniel had seen Johnny’s dick before them fooling around. They had been friends long enough to feel comfortable changing in front of one another and sometimes, in the locker room or after swimming, when they’d put their clothes on, Daniel would get a sneak peek of what Johnny Lawrence was packing.</p><p> </p><p>There was no point in comparing himself since everyone was built differently, but if he had to say one thing about it, it was that Johnny had nothing to worry about. </p><p> </p><p>He wrapped his hand around him easily, giving him an experimental stroke from root to tip, earning a whimper from Johnny above. This was familiar and comfortable -- they’d done this so many times by now that jerking him off had become second nature at this point -- but now Daniel was moving into unchartered territory and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little nervous. He had caught enough pieces of porn here and there to get a general idea and seeing as how Johnny had already performed the act on him, he more or less figured out how to start.</p><p> </p><p>Taking a breath, Daniel carefully wrapped his mouth around the already leaking head, flicking his tongue over the gathered moisture, groaning at the salty-sweet taste. Emboldened, he took Johnny further into his mouth, making sure to keep his teeth covered with his lips and his throat relaxed. He heard Johnny’s sharp intake of breath over the wild beating of his heart and it sent a sharp pang of want down his spine, gathering in the pit of his belly and spreading to his own aching erection that was straining against the seam of his jeans. </p><p> </p><p>He bobbed his head experimentally and Johnny’s answering made him smile--well, as much as one could smile with a mouthful of another person’s dick. It took him a few tries, but he found a rhythm that had Johnny’s fingers tangling in his hair, encouraging him to go deeper, to take more. And as much as Daniel wanted to, he knew that was a little too ambitious for his time doing this. </p><p> </p><p>Instead, he focused on finding a rhythm between his mouth and his hand that would drive Johnny wild. He focused his attention on the head, alternating between licking and sucking and stroking what he couldn’t fit in his mouth with his hands and if the sounds leaving Johnny’s lips were anything to go by, that plan was just fine with him. <em> More </em>than fine.</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes, his jaw began to ache and he had to pull away to give himself a second to breathe. He kept stroking Johnny’s cock, using the saliva as a lubricant to work for his hand a bit faster around his length. Johnny’s head was tilted back in pleasure, and Daniel used the opportunity to admire the slope of Johnny’s neck, the cut of his jaw, the way his perfectly white teeth dug into his plush bottom lip, a vain attempt to keep himself quiet. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Daniel murmured, squeezing Johnny’s hip with his other hand. “You okay?” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny hummed, nodding his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing heavily and if Daniel wasn’t so preoccupied with other things, he’d give in to the urge to follow it with his lips. </p><p> </p><p>“Do I suck so bad I rendered you silent?” Daniel asked, only partially teasing.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny laughed then, high pitched and nervous as he glanced back down at Daniel, his pupils blown, black eclipsing the blue. “You suck very, <em> very </em> good.” </p><p> </p><p>“Nice play on words there, Webster.” Daniel quipped, lowering his head once more to take Johnny back into his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>He grew a bit more confident this time around, his grip tightening, working his jaw faster, paying special attention to the head on every upstroke, teasing his tongue along the underside vein on every downstroke. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny’s hip twitched in Daniel’s hold like he was dying to thrust forward, fuck himself into Daniel’s mouth and the thought of Johnny using him that way -- to get off, to reach his own pleasure, just taking everything Daniel wanted to give -- had Daniel groaning and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching down to press the heel of his palm into his throbbing cock and that little bit of friction had him moaning.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny whimpered in response, dicking twitching in Daniel’s mouth, and then with a strangled cry, Johnny was coming right then and there, not giving Daniel enough time to pull away. Liquid -- salty and warm -- flooded his mouth and he swallowed it down greedily, only pulling away when he felt Johnny’s cock soften.</p><p> </p><p>They were both panting and Daniel only had a second to admire Johnny -- pale cheeks flushed, lips swollen, blue eyes dazed with pleasure -- before he was being tackled against the kitchen floor, Johnny’s lips finding his, kissing him hungrily, groaning at the taste of himself on Daniel’s tongue which -- <em> hot. </em></p><p> </p><p>“How’d I do?” Daniel asked, smiling brightly as he looked up at Johnny once they broke apart.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny was panting above him, slowly coming down from his high. “A+,” He decided. “Full credit. You put the <em> Dic </em> in <em> Valedictorian </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“Technically, <em> you </em>put the dick in,” Daniel replied, earning a heartfelt laugh and another kiss from Johnny. </p><p> </p><p>They did wind up getting the ice cream, choosing to lounge on that big white couch that Laura had picked out to go with the aesthetic of the room. Prim, proper, and clean. Just like her family. Both were careful not to make a mess, though Daniel was sure Johnny would pay the cleaning lady double to fix any messes they possibly created. </p><p> </p><p>Rather than doing separate bowls, they decided to just say fuck it and put the entire carton into one huge bowl and add all the fixings in--whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate sauce. Johnny picked out Rocky Road because it was Daniel’s favorite and they celebrated by grabbing two spoons and huddling closely together as MTV played out in front of them. </p><p> </p><p>“How does it feel to finally be free?” Johnny asked as they dug into their massive treat. </p><p> </p><p>“Words can’t describe it, man,” Daniel admitted, finding that amazing, fantastic, and wonderful just didn’t do the trick. </p><p> </p><p>He’s had metal in his mouth for so long it seemed to be the only thing that really stuck with him. Now he was free, with great teeth and a bright smile to go along with his bright future. </p><p> </p><p>“Never thought the day would come,” Daniel said before taking another bite, humming around his spoon. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ll have to smile bright for prom photos,” Johnny said, though only then did Daniel even think of that. </p><p> </p><p>Prom. He had his braces off in time for prom! What a fucking trip! “Guess I’ll have to flash these pearly whites at all the ladies, am I right?” Daniel started brightly, though Johnny stayed focused on the bowl, shoveling in the spoonfuls. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel didn’t continue the topic, deciding that the ice cream and the music videos playing in front of them were enough to fill the silence. After a bit of time and a commercial break that was way too long in his opinion, another video started playing, one that got Daniel jumping in his seat. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh! “Legs” music video! ZZ Top!” Daniel said, feeling Johnny shift beside him. </p><p> </p><p>It had been a very important music video to both of them, for obvious reasons and Daniel would never openly admit to it, but it had been one of the videos that really got him going. There might have been a time or two when he got a little carried away in the bedroom, listening to the song with his headphones on and hand wrapped around his dick as he imagined another hot blond with gorgeous legs laid out only for him. </p><p> </p><p>In the corner of his eye, he saw Johnny place the bowl down on the coffee table, keeping it out of the way. He placed his spoon, and then Daniel’s, into the bowl and then proceeded to sit up. Daniel expected him to watch the video intensely, just as Daniel was doing, but instead, he turned Daniel’s head away from the screen and pulled him into a kiss. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel didn’t question it, finding himself falling back into Johnny’s arms, accepting the kiss that was sweet and sticky, the tv and whatever video playing on it completely forgotten.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Is It Gay To Suck Your Homies Dick, As A Friend? would be Daniel's google search if google existed in 1989. </p><p>Once again thank you to StoriesOfMyLife for beta-ing this and making it worthwhile. She is truly an angel and we do not deserve her.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Top Five Ways To Ruin Everything</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weekend came up faster than Daniel expected it to. The days were winding down and he knew that within just a few days, they would be going to prom, with or without dates. He wasn’t keen on going alone and he had lamented this struggle to his mom as he stood in the living room for his suit fitting. She was tailoring one of his dad’s old suits to fit him properly and while he knew he looked good in it, that didn’t make the whole thing any better.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t get what the big deal is, Daniel? So you don’t have a date. You can still go enjoy yourself.” </p><p> </p><p>“And do what, ma? Stand there watching all the other guys dance with their girlfriends? Sit in the corner drinking spiked punch and feeling sorry for myself?” </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe you’ll meet a girl there?” She suggested, glancing up at him curiously. “Does Johnny have a date?” </p><p> </p><p>“Of course not,” Daniel told her with a scoff. </p><p> </p><p>“Then go with him! He’s already tied at your hip, so what’s the big deal?” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel sighed, stepping off the chair she had him balancing on. “You wouldn’t get it.” He insisted, going to undo the pants, letting them drop to the floor so he could pull on his shorts. “You and dad were high school sweethearts. You always had each other.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’ve always had Johnny. What’s wrong with that?” </p><p> </p><p>“Nothing’s wrong with that, ma. But this in high school. People want more than just friendship.” </p><p> </p><p>“And he doesn’t?” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel pushed himself out of the room, going to the bag he had initially come back for. He needed more clothes and to bring back the ones he had already worn. His mom stopped him so they could finish the fitting and now he was falling down a rabbit hole of relationships that he really didn’t want to go down. </p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t matter, ma. Look, I gotta go, okay? I’ll be home, Monday. Love you!” </p><p> </p><p>Hurrying out of the apartment before she could ask any more questions he didn’t have an actual answer to, Daniel hopped on his bike and went back to Johnny’s place.</p><p> </p><p>With it being Saturday, they took the time to blast through whatever assignments they had been given before heading down to the beach. This time of year was usually pretty busy, even if they still had a few weeks before the tourist showed up, but the area behind Johnny’s house was private to those who owned the land, meaning they could hangout back there without the annoying families or loud music. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny brought his boombox with them, letting Daniel skim through the selection of music before popping in a Queen tape and letting the tunes play aloud as they relaxed in the sand. </p><p> </p><p>“So, my mom said she’ll be back by graduation,” Johnny announced casually. “Looks like we’ll be on our own the night of prom.” </p><p> </p><p>“We’ll be on our own regardless,” Daniel grumbled, earning a chuckle from Johnny beside him. </p><p> </p><p>He watched as Johnny rolled over, going to lean on his arm as he gave him a quick once over. “Sorry, your plan isn’t working out so well. At least your teeth look good.” </p><p> </p><p>“Har har. Let me mourn in peace.” Daniel requested, tilting his sunglasses down, covering his eyes as he turned to face the sun. </p><p> </p><p>“Danny,” Johnny chuckled again. He could feel him moving in the sand, pressing against him lightly. His skin was warm from the sun and the way his body naturally curved against him made Daniel’s stomach twist pleasantly, though he ignored it to keep his eyes closed, his head forward. </p><p> </p><p>“Danny,” Johnny repeated, the tip of his nose tracing along Daniel’s cheek. “I’m sorry we didn’t get dates for prom, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t finish the night off right.” </p><p> </p><p>“By doing what? Drinking Coors Banquets alone while the rest of the student body gets to have the night of their lives?”</p><p> </p><p>Johnny laughed at him then. It was rare for Johnny to mock him, but now and then it would happen and today seemed to be the day he did it. “Why is it you think you’re the only person in school who is a complete and total loser? I'm not any more popular than you are.” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel snorted, rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses. “Please. If you had gotten your glasses off and actually wore better clothing at the beginning of the year, you would have been nominated as prom king by the end of it.” </p><p> </p><p>“Your Academy Award for Best Overdramaization should be coming in the mail any day now, Danny.” </p><p> </p><p>“We might as well just rip up our list because there is no way we’ll be finishing them by the time the school year ends,” Daniel grumbled. “You never even told me what is on yours.” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny hummed softly, raising his own sunglasses so he could use those stupid sparkly blue eyes to try and dazzle Daniel the way he always did. Daniel refused to give in, keeping his own eyes forward behind his glasses. </p><p> </p><p>“Virginities can still be lost, with or without a girl, Daniel,” Johnny told him quietly. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel turned his head then, wanting to ask Johnny what he meant, but his words were caught in his throat when he looked Johnny in the eye. There was a glimmer there, one filled with passion and allure. They had already crossed so many things off their lists, it was only a matter of time before they were presented with the final possibility and Daniel would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it, though neither vocalized whether or not that would be something they wanted to explore. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel could give a handjob because he had a dick and knew what felt good. He could suck Johnny off because the sounds that Johnny made when he put in the effort were enough to turn him on. But there was a big difference between fooling around and going all the way, especially since it would involve one giving and one taking. And that wasn’t something Daniel had thought about, at least not to the extent of actually <em>asking </em>Johnny if he’d be interested in it. </p><p> </p><p>Sand hit them suddenly, causing Johnny to roll away in surprise. Daniel looked up to find a volleyball sitting beside him with the owner hurrying off to retrieve it. He sat up quickly, pulling off his sunglasses as Ali and her friends came to his side. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi! Sorry. We sort of got out of hand in our game,” Ali said apologetically. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, it’s no biggie,” Daniel promised, lifting the ball to hold it out to her.</p><p> </p><p>Ali took the volleyball, holding it close to her chest. “Tanning before prom?” She asked playfully. </p><p> </p><p>“Certainly beats hopping into those booths at the mall,” Daniel answered, glancing over to Johnny, who looked a little less than eager to be interrupted. “What are you girls up to?” </p><p> </p><p>“Just hanging out.” </p><p> </p><p>“Getting some exercise in before the big night.” </p><p> </p><p>“Big night?” Daniel repeated, confused... </p><p> </p><p>“Dutch is throwing a party tonight. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it,” Ali mentioned. </p><p> </p><p>Besides Daniel, Johnny snorted, going to lay back down on his towel, his sunglasses back over his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You guys should come,” Ali’s friend Barbara suggested.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah! I’m sure he wouldn’t care. Probably wouldn’t even notice, he invited so many people.” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel wanted to accept, but he knew showing up at Dutch’s house would be a mistake. Neither he nor Johnny needed to be chased away from a party, especially this close to the end of the school year. </p><p> </p><p>“You know what, it’s funny you mention a party because Johnny here was planning on throwing one, too.” </p><p> </p><p>“What?” Johnny asked, shooting up beside him. “Since <em> when </em>?” </p><p> </p><p>“Since your folks are out of town, remember?” Daniel looked back to the girls, smiling. “We’d invite you, but we’d hate for you to have to go from one party to another.” </p><p> </p><p>“We could always skip Dutch’s,” Susan, another friend, and cheerleader told him. “It’s not like he even plays good music anyway.” </p><p> </p><p>“In that case, tell all your friends.” Daniel insisted. “Tonight at eight, the Weinberg mansion.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll let the cheerleaders know,” Barbara replied, tugging on Ali’s arm. </p><p> </p><p>“See you tonight guys,” The girls said, leaving to go back to their section of the beach. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel kicked the sand with excitement, turning back to Johnny, only to find his space now empty. Looking around, he saw the blond walking back up the pathway to his house. Gathering their towels, Daniel was quick to follow.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, you’re a real piece of work!” Johnny snapped as he approached. “A fucking party, Daniel? If my mom found out, she’d kill me. And then Sid would bring me back just to kill me all over again!”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re not going to be home for another week! Any damage we cause can be cleaned up by then!” Daniel insisted. “Johnny, come on! This is our only chance to do anything cool. I mean, a high school party? With<em> cheerleaders </em>?” </p><p> </p><p>“We don’t know the first thing about throwing a party!” Johnny practically shouted. </p><p> </p><p>“What is there to know? Make sure there is food, music, and drinks! You have the music, I can supply the food, and as for drinks, Sid has a liquor cabinet doesn’t he?” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny’s eyes widened in panic at the idea. “No! No fucking way, Daniel.” </p><p> </p><p>“Then I’ll get Louie to bring us some beer,” Daniel swore and when Johnny still didn’t look convinced, he pleaded. “Johnny, come on. We’re never going to have another chance like this again.” </p><p> </p><p>“What does it matter? School is almost over. We already spent the past three and a half years as losers, what would one week of being cool even matter?” </p><p> </p><p>“It matters because I don’t want to look back in ten years and know we didn’t do a single exciting thing. That we didn’t take any wild chances.” </p><p> </p><p>“One party isn’t going to change anything, Danny.” </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe not, but wouldn’t you rather know you took the chance?” Daniel asked, pouting as he took a step closer to Johnny. He could see the gears turning in Johnny’s head, thinking over the ramifications of what could happen if his parents ever found out.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t even drink, Daniel. I’ll probably spend the whole night sober and miserable.” </p><p> </p><p>“You think I’d let that happen? Johnny, come on! This party is for both of us. One last <em> hurrah </em>before school ends.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah right, just another thing to cross off your list. Meanwhile, I’ll be the one cleaning up in the morning.” </p><p> </p><p>Daniel lifted his hand then, knocking his knuckles against Johnny’s shoulder. “You think I wouldn’t help? We’re in this together, remember? Maverick and Iceman.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t it be Maverick and Goose?” </p><p> </p><p>“Goose dies, dipstick. You really wanna die?”</p><p> </p><p>Johnny paused, narrowing his eyes as his hands fell to his hips. “Wait, why the fuck are you <em> Maverick </em>?” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m shorter!” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny stood, mouth ajar as he tried to process that excuse. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel shook his head, stepping in closer. “We’re getting off-topic. It’s one party, Johnny. One we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.” </p><p> </p><p>“For better or worse?” Johnny grumbled. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you want me to beg? I’m not above begging, Johnny.” Daniel swore, dropping to his knees in an instant. He reached out, taking Johnny’s hand in his own. “Johnny. John. <em>Ti ho mai detto che sei bellissimo</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>Johnny’s eyes widened, and Daniel could feel him squeeze his hand. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel knew he was playing dirty. It was rare for him to speak Italian aloud, usually only with his great aunts and uncles, but when he did, it always caused a rise out of Johnny. The blond himself spoke another language -- Czech -- with his mother from time to time but never translated any of it for Daniel.</p><p> </p><p>“Johnny Lawrence, <em>Amore Mio, vita mia, ti prego, dammi una mano! </em>”</p><p> </p><p>“This is cheating. This isn’t fair.” Johnny muttered tightly. </p><p> </p><p>“<em>Sarò per sempre tuo schiavo! Ti porterò in palmo di mano. Imburrerò anche i tuoi panini!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you even know what you’re saying?” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Ti adorerò per sempre. Ti prego, angelo mio. Ti prego!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Daniel knew that if he was sweet enough, cute enough, if he pouted his lips just right and used those big brown eyes to put on that ‘kicked puppy’ look that tricked his mom into giving him what he wanted, then sure it would work on Johnny as well. </p><p> </p><p>“Please?” He begged, biting his cheek as Johnny groaned in reluctance. </p><p> </p><p>“Fine!” he sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat. “But if anything breaks, you’re fixing it. One way or another.” </p><p> </p><p>“<em>Grazie </em> !” Daniel cheered, kissing Johnny’s hand. He stood to his feet, kissing Johnny’s face repeatedly. “<em>Grazie, bellissimo uomo </em>!”</p><p> </p><p>“All right, all right! Down, Romeo.” Johnny laughed, shoving Daniel off of him. </p><p> </p><p>“You won’t regret this, I swear!” Daniel said, warning a tired “yeah yeah” from Johnny as he went back to the house. </p><p> </p><p>Planning a party was a hell of a lot harder than Daniel expected it to be. This wasn’t some celebration, so there wasn’t a need for balloons or streamers. No celebration banner needed to be put up or anything of the sort. Instead, they had to focus on making room for people to dance, getting drinks for people to drink, and food for them to eat. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny was pushing the furniture into the corners, praying to God or Satan or whatever higher power there was that nobody fucked up the white couch while Daniel poured bag after bag of chips into the assorted bowls. Louie came around with the liquor and the keg, which he had gotten from his job at the mini-mart on the agreement that he gets to hang out. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny didn’t fully believe anybody would actually show up until Ali and the rest of the cheerleaders did. And with the cheerleaders came the football team, and then the soccer team, including Bobby. And Bobby didn’t go anywhere without Tommy, and both their girlfriends.</p><p> </p><p>Soon enough, all the popular kids filled the living room and hallways, all of which were mingling and dancing to the music that Louie was playing from his little DJ station in the corner. Daniel didn’t trust him not to hit on the high school girls, so he gave him the job to pick the music with the selection that he and Johnny provided. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel had changed before the party could begin, putting on one of the new plaid shirts he had gotten at the mall with Johnny and a pair of blue jeans. He had to say he liked the way it turned out, forgoing an undershirt so a bit of his chest could be shown. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny had also changed, going with Levis and a black collared shirt. He had it buttoned all the way up, but Daniel stopped him halfway through, popping open the first few and flaring out the collar just a bit to make it look tussled. He had his contacts in and Daniel ran his fingers through his hair, brushing it back before they both went downstairs. </p><p> </p><p>Now Daniel was standing in the corner, drink in hand without a single person knowing he was there. He had tried to talk to a few of the cheerleaders, but it seemed like only Barbara and Susan would give him the time of day. He would have put more effort into the conversation had Susan not been dating one of the soccer players and Barbara not having a boyfriend in college. Any other seemingly single girl paid him no mind and every time he tried to approach Ali, she was caught up in a conversation with someone else. </p><p> </p><p>The house was filled up with people and yet he was treated like decoration -- something you glanced at before moving around to get to the next destination. He thought, maybe, just <em> maybe </em>, he would be able to garner enough attention if he went back to talk to Susan and Barbara, but his worst fears arrived when Dutch showed up. </p><p> </p><p>He half expected the guy to start a fight since originally he had been the one to have a party, but instead, he just brought even more people and what looked to be stronger booze. He also took away all the attention, as the single girls flocked to him like he was Neil Diamond. </p><p> </p><p>After a bit of moping, Daniel ran up the stairs, sneaking away into Johnny’s room so he could enjoy the silence for a moment. Johnny happened to be there, looking out the window casually. </p><p> </p><p>“Jimmy and his girlfriend are screwing in the hot tub,” He announced on sight. “Can you put bleach in a hot tub?” </p><p> </p><p>“This whole thing is a big disaster,” Daniel admitted.</p><p> </p><p>He found himself in a bit of a limbo. He wasn’t drunk enough to not care, but enough for his emotions to be intact. Johnny had commented once, saying that Daniel had stages of drunkenness. He would either be too soft, too gentle, or he would be a total bitch. </p><p> </p><p>He guessed right now he was balancing on the latter. </p><p> </p><p>“Gee, who would have thought?” Johnny mused, sarcasm thick, placing his water bottle down as he went to sit on the edge of the bed beside Daniel. “Nobody caught your eye?” </p><p> </p><p>“Braces or not, it’s like I’m invisible to these people,” Daniel said, frustrated... “It’s like no matter what we do, we’ll never be enough for them.” </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe it’s for the best?” Johnny suggested lamely. “I mean, we barely know these people, Danny. Why should we care if we matter to them?” </p><p> </p><p>“Why shouldn’t we?” Daniel returned.  “What is so wrong with us that we aren’t worth liking?” </p><p> </p><p>“People like us.” </p><p> </p><p>“No, they don’t! People tolerate us, Johnny. If anything, they like you. Because you have a big house and your stepdad’s money. Nobody here gives a shit about me.” </p><p> </p><p>“That isn’t true. I give a shit.” Johnny reached out then, taking Daniel’s hand in his own. “Hey. Look at me.” He demanded. Daniel sighed, looking over to see Johnny staring intently into his eyes. “I like you, Danny. A lot.” He admitted. </p><p> </p><p>And Daniel, being the grumpy bastard that he was, took it with a grain of salt. “No shit, Johnny. We’re friends, of course, you like me.” He replied, shoving Johnny’s hand away as he stood. </p><p> </p><p>“Danny, I didn’t mean-”</p><p> </p><p>“-I want to be liked by people that matter! Not just by you.” </p><p> </p><p>“So what, because I’m not some popular chick, I don’t matter?” Johnny demanded, incredulous.  </p><p> </p><p>Daniel scoffed, rolling his eyes as his hands fell to his hips. “You know what I meant.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not that bright, Daniel. You might have to explain it to me.” </p><p> </p><p>“For the longest time, it’s only been us. Johnny and Daniel, Daniel and Johnny. Is it wrong of me to want more?” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny stood up, scooping up Daniel’s beer can swiftly as he got up off the bed. “No, Daniel. It’s not wrong.” He brought the can to his lips, chugging it until he reached the end, and tossed the can into the trash. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny left the room without another word, heading down the stairs to join the party once more. Daniel stayed upstairs, sulking for a good while. He very much doubted he would be missed by a single person other than his own cousin and maybe Johnny, who was probably standing off to the side watching as the popular kids trashed his house.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, Daniel pulled himself up by the bootstraps and returned downstairs, finding that half of the party-goers were standing around in a circle, chanting as two guys drank from a keg. One of them was Dutch (unsurprising) while the other (very surprising) was Johnny. </p><p> </p><p>“He sure seems to be having fun,” Louie mentioned as Daniel went to his side. “He’s been at it for fifteen minutes. I think he's already ingested four bottles.” </p><p> </p><p>“He’s gonna be feeling that tomorrow,” Daniel said, already imagining the hangover the poor guy was going to be waking up with. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny wasn’t a drinker and for good reason. He had watched his stepdad get drunk far too many times and say and do things that were way out of line. His mom had mentioned a time or two that his biological father had been a big drinker and he just didn’t want to get into the habit. They had messed around with beers in the past and the blond got sick off it, resulting in him swearing off it all. </p><p> </p><p>Until now, it seemed.</p><p> </p><p>“You all right?” Louie asked curiously. “You seem kind of bummed.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine,” Daniel said absently, his eyes still trained on Johnny. </p><p> </p><p>“Rad party. I mean, I didn’t go to many when I was in school, but if I had, I would have imagined they were just like this one.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, enjoy it while it lasts, Louie,” Daniel muttered, watching as Johnny pulled himself off the keg, going to run outside, no doubt to empty his stomach into the rose bush. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel followed soon after, knowing the blond probably felt like shit. He walked through the door, heading into the garden in hopes of finding his friend and comforting him through his hurling session. But Instead of finding Johnny with his head buried in Laura's azaleas, he found Johnny by the fountain, his head tilted down as Ali Mills kissed him. Daniel froze at the sight, his eyes lingering for just a moment before he turned to walk away, resulting in him tripping over a potted plant, revealing himself to the duo. </p><p> </p><p>Johnny was the first to pull away, rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand viciously. Ali was blushing, looking equally as starry-eyed and wasted as the rest of the party-goers. </p><p> </p><p>“Danny,” Johnny slurred, pushing forward to help him up, but Daniel got back on his feet before Johnny could reach him. </p><p> </p><p>“Sorry to interrupt.” He said, watching as Ali scrambled with her words before giving up entirely, going back into the house to leave the two boys alone. “I thought you came out here to puke,” Daniel admitted dryly. </p><p> </p><p>“I did. I had to swallow it back down.” Johnny muttered, blinking rapidly to keep his contacts from sliding around. “You weren’t supposed to see that.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not the blind one, John.” </p><p> </p><p>“It didn’t mean anything,” Johnny swore, wobbly on his feet to move closer to Daniel. </p><p> </p><p>“So you just go around kissing people for fun? Seems out of character for you, John.” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny shook his head, breathing slowly out of his nose. “It wasn’t like that.” He insisted. </p><p> </p><p>“Figures. I do all the work and you reap all the benefits.” Daniel scoffed. </p><p> </p><p>“What?” </p><p> </p><p>“You wouldn’t have gone to Golf N Stuff if I hadn’t accepted for you. You wouldn’t have thrown this party if I didn’t beg you. I picked out new clothes, gave you a new look. And you’re the one who gets the girl.” </p><p> </p><p>“Are you <em> jealous </em>?” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, can you blame me? It’s Ali fucking Mills, Johnny! She’s been on my mind since I first moved here and now you’re the one who gets to have her?” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny lifted his hand, gesturing wildly as he tried to wrap his mind around whatever it was Daniel was ranting about. “You’re jealous because of Ali?” He asked somberly, sounding briefly sober. “Danny . . . are you jealous because you thought I kissed Ali or because Ali kissed me?” He asked carefully. </p><p> </p><p>Daniel shrugged his shoulders, unsure of why it mattered. “What’s the difference?” </p><p> </p><p>Johnny stared at him, and not as he had at the beach earlier that day, with such devotion and adoration, but with confusion and disgust. “For fuck sake, Daniel.” He muttered quietly, turning the corner then so he could walk out of the garden. </p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going?” Daniel demanded as he realized Johnny wasn’t going back to his house, but rather of the property. </p><p> </p><p>“Away! I can’t be here right now.” </p><p> </p><p>“But this is your house!” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah? Well, it’s your party!” Johnny shouted, pausing to turn back at the other boy. “This is what you wanted, right? A big party so you can be noticed? I’ll leave and maybe without me around people will actually see you. That’s what you wanted after all. To be <em> seen </em>.” </p><p> </p><p>“Johnny, come on!” Daniel pleaded, but he didn’t get an answer. </p><p> </p><p>Shaking his head in disgust, Johnny turned on his heel and walked down the path and off the property, disappearing into the darkness of the night, leaving Daniel and the party behind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me. I promise it won't end badly. I swear, I swear! </p><p>Thank you to cutemercutio for the proper translations! </p><p>Italian translation: </p><p>Ti ho mai detto che sei bellissimo - Have i ever said you are beautiful</p><p>Johnny Lawrence, Amore Mio, vita mia, ti prego, dammi una mano - I beg you, give me a hand</p><p>Sarò per sempre tuo schiavo! Ti porterò in palmo di mano. Imburrerò anche i tuoi panini! - I Will always be your slave. I will always be wrapped around your finger. I'll butter your sandwich too! </p><p>Ti adorerò per sempre. Ti prego, angelo mio. Ti prego! - I will adore you forever. I beg you, my angel. I beg you!</p><p>Grazie, Bellissimo Uomo -  Thank you, beautiful man,</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Top Five Ways To Admit Defeat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>All right class, repeat after me: THANK YOU STORIESOFMYLIFE FOR BEING THE BEST AROUND!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Daniel woke alone the next morning, with no Johnny insight. He went up to bed not long after Johnny ran off, letting the party slowly die off without him. In the morning, he cleaned up the mess, tossing away the garage and putting the cans and bottles in the recycle bin. Nothing seemed broken and the couch wasn’t stained. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>No damage was made, making the whole idea of the party a little less painful. Everybody seemed to have had a good time, all except for the guy who lived in the house. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel waited for Johnny to come back, but he never did. Daniel searched the house after a little while, figuring Johnny had fallen asleep in one of the empty rooms or even on the couch but he came up empty. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blond didn’t appear until the early afternoon after Daniel had already cleaned up. He was in the kitchen, trying to nurse his hangover when Daniel approached him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey,” he breathed out casually, going to lean against the island.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny’s back was to him, pouring his orange juice into his glass. He didn’t reply, bringing the glass to his lips to drink from.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I cleaned up. The mess wasn’t that big. I guess Dutch wasn’t in the mood to cause trouble.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny hummed, closing his eyes as he focused on his orange juice. They had read somewhere that coffee or orange juice were the best things to do after a hangover. They didn’t drink often but when they did and wound up going overboard, it was good to have something to fall back on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So I was thinking, maybe we could go to the junkyard? See if there are any scraps worth salvaging?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sid hated whenever they would go to the yard. It was dirty and they would always come home with something useless. They liked to remodel and fix up pieces for Johnny’s car. It was how they got the inspiration to start their business; finding vintage cars and bringing them back to life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think you should go home,” Johnny decided, not taking his eyes off his glass of orange juice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel watched as Johnny finished his glass, going to place it into the sink before moving past Daniel to leave the kitchen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Johnny,” Daniel muttered but the blond was out of the room, disappearing outside once more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel knew better than to mess with Johnny when he was feeling down, so he took the suggestion and called his mom to head home. He lied and told his mom that Laura and Sid came back early. It was believable enough and when he finally arrived home he decided to let Johnny cool down for a bit. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had never fought this before, where he wanted very little to even do with Daniel. Sometimes they would have arguments but those were usually fixed within an hour after happening.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This went on for days, with Daniel riding his bike to school because Johnny wasn’t answering his phone and ignoring him during all their classes and in the hallway. He disappeared during lunch, leaving Daniel alone at the lunch table. It was the longest he had ever gone without talking to Johnny. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And while Daniel wanted to be the one that was angry since it was Johnny locking lips with the girl Daniel had liked since ninth grade, it was Johnny that was causing all the trouble. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel expected him to be pissy on Monday, especially since everybody was still talking about the party. It had been a huge hit, with numerous people talking about it, some even going up to Johnny in the hallway to tell him how good of a time they had.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel could see Johnny fuming behind his glasses, trying to play it off as nothing, but the way he slammed his locker and glared over to Daniel before rushing off down the hall . . . it was clear this wouldn’t be a clean fix.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He thought that by Tuesday he would actually be able to get a word out of him. He stopped by his locker to hand off his yearbook. Daniel grabbed his early that morning and saw that Johnny had yet to pick his own up. He sweet-talked the girl working at the book into handing Johnny’s over and found him by the lockers in between classes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Be my first?” He asked, holding the yearbook out. Johnny didn’t look at him, instead of focusing on swapping one notebook out for another. “Come on, man. Don’t leave me with blank pages.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny continued to stay silent, eyes cast forward like he was searching for Narnia in the back of his locker. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine, just leave me to have nobody but teachers sign. That’s a fate worse than death, but I deserve it.” Daniel held the yearbook out once more, twirling the sharpie he had between his fingers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny slammed his locker closed then, turning to face Daniel. They locked eyes for the first time since the morning after the party and there was a shimmer there that Daniel had not recognized. He tried to put his finger on it, but then Johnny was looking away, taking the yearbook from Daniel’s hands, as well as the sharpie. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel watched as Johnny went to the very back page, scribbling down his message to him. Once finished, he slammed it shut and handed it back to him, taking his own yearbook as he slipped down the hall. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Curious, Daniel flipped to the page to read the message Johnny left him </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Top Five -- from Johnny to Daniel</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>1. Go</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>2. Fuck</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>3. Yourself</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>4. Daniel</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>5. LaRusso </em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel was left leaning against the locker, kicking it repeatedly until a teacher stuck their head out of a classroom and made him scatter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Obviously, things weren’t going to be an easy fix, though Daniel tried not to think about it too hard, putting his focus onto his final assignments. He passed his art project, which was surprising even for him since he had put so little effort into it,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon was in the room when he went to pick it up, setting up her own project on the counter by the window. “You aren’t taking yours home?” He asked curiously. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh. No, Mr. Flask wants to keep it. He wants to show it off as an example for future classes,” she admitted, smiling brightly as she packed her bag. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s really cool, Shannon.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks. So, will I see you and Johnny on Friday?” She asked casually.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel stumped, his hand coming to rub the back of his neck. “Oh well, I’m not too sure, to be honest. We’re not exactly on speaking terms.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh.” She blinked, sounding genuinely surprised. “Did something happen at the party?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sort of. Were you there?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon shook her head, throwing her bag over her shoulder. “Despite my reputation, I’m not actually a party girl.” She confessed. “You can’t get into Cosmetology school by spending your weekends drinking and making out with football players.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All those rumors. I never believed in them,” Daniel told her carefully. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sure you did. Everybody did. And it’s fine. Let them think what they want, you know?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel wondered how she could do it. Let others say so much terrible shit about her when none of it was true. Shannon let it roll off her shoulders like it was nothing, but in reality, some of the stuff said about her was downright awful. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll see you at prom I guess?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll be the one in black,” she confirmed, waving as she walked out of the room. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel watched her go, feeling a little more defeated than he had before the day starting. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Come Wednesday, Daniel had enough and decided to talk to Johnny about whatever was going on. He understood being a little angry but this had gone on long enough. After school he went to the record store, searching up and down the aisles as he waited for Johnny to come. There were a few new records out but he didn’t take much interest in him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He continued to look over to the door, impatiently waiting for the blond to make his way inside. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Iona appeared behind him suddenly, catching Daniel off guard. She had on another outrageous outfit, looking like the seventies threw up on her. “Hiya, Danny boy. Where’s your partner in crime?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, he should be here soon,” Daniel said with a wave of his hand, looking around anxiously. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was Wednesday. They always met up at TRAX on Wednesday. It had been their routine for nearly two years. Not even some silly fight could stop Johnny from wanting to check out the selection. So Daniel would wait. Wait, and wait, and wait. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, let him know I have those Speedwagon tickets for him,” Iona said over her shoulder, making her way back behind the counter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What tickets?” Daniel asked, turning his head before following her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Iona opened up a giant scrapbook, flipping through the pages before landing on the one she wanted. She pulled out two tickets, waving them in front of Daniel’s face before handing them over. Daniel felt his heart stop as he read the bold, blue letters. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had been talking about going to a concert for years and when REO Speedwagon had announced their tour, both were beyond interested. Daniel had been saving up money to buy them, but the day they went on sale for their arena, they sold out within hours. Daniel didn’t even get a chance to get inline -- there was no line to get in. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How the hell did you pull this off?” Daniel demanded, blinking up at her in shock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I have friends in high places,” Iona said with a shrug, but there was a mischievous grin on her face that Daniel decidedly ignored. The less he knew, the better, probably. “Blondie seemed pretty desperate for them. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a happy couple.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How much did he pay for these?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Client confidentiality, Danny boy. My lips are sealed.” Iona said, zipping her lips dramatically before taking the tickets back, placing them safely in the book. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the corner of his eye, Daniel saw the door open and in a flash, a blond blur ran past the window, the sound of the bell ringing as the door closed in his wake. Daniel hurried after him, practically running to catch up before Johnny could reach his car. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, hey! Speed racer, where’s the fire?” He called out, receiving no answer from the blond. “Hey Johnny, man. Come on. Talk to me here.” Daniel begged, but Johnny remained silent, fumbling with his keys so he could unlock his car, completely ignoring him </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It stung like a fresh bruise, but Daniel ignored it, choosing, instead, to focus on the anger that was on a low, slow simmer in his gut. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So what, you’re just never going to talk to me again?” Daniel demanded, incredulous. “Four years of friendship washed down the drain? Just like that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Again, Johnny ignored him and Daniel could feel his frustration growing, ready to snap, like a rubber band that’d been stretched too far. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know, you have some nerve,” Daniel continued, undeterred. “You go after<em> my </em> girl, you kiss my girl and then get pissy at me--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ali was never your girl!” Johnny snapped, turning around to face him, blue eyes blazing behind his glasses. “You couldn’t even talk to her! You spent every year in high school gazing at her like she was some mythical creature in a zoo, always too afraid to go up to the cage and touch her.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So what? You think that gives you the right to make a move on her?!” Daniel snapped back hotly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ali kissed me, all right? Unlike you and every other guy in school, I don’t like her like that!” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And Daniel was inclined to believe him, <em> but-- </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If that's true, then why the hell have you been avoiding me?” Daniel demanded, taking a step closer to him. “When I call you don’t pick up. You’ve been skipping lunch, you don’t even look at me in the hallway. What the hell did I do that was so bad you had to pretend like I don’t exist?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny breathed through his nose slowly, his foot tapping against the ground anxiously. Daniel’s eyes flickered to his hands, finding them clenched tightly in a fist. He knew Johnny wouldn’t hit him, but he made sure to get his legs ready in case he took a swing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nothing,” Johnny said finally, sounding resigned. “You didn’t do anything.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then what the <em> hell </em> is your problem?” Daniel asked, frustrated and a little desperate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny sighed.“There’s no problem, I just--I just needed some space.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> Space</em>? What are you, a fucking astronaut?” Daniel said with a snort. When Johnny didn’t even respond with his own sarcastic remark, Daniel felt like he was truly at a loss. “Johnny, come on,” Daniel pleaded. “Whatever it is--whatever I did--just <em>tell </em>me. Look, I’m sorry for the party, all right? It was dumb and desperate. I should have never suggested such a thing.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny shook his head, letting out a little laugh that sounded more hysterical than humorous.“It’s not about the party, Daniel.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, if it isn’t the party and it isn’t Ali, then what the hell could it be?” Daniel snapped, throwing his hands up in annoyance.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You said you wanted more,” Johnny reminded him quietly. “Remember? You said you were tired of it being Daniel and Johnny, Johnny and Daniel. Silly me for giving you what you wanted.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel sighed, his hands falling to his hips. He should have known that comment would come back around and bite him in the ass. He would have liked to have blamed it on the alcohol, but he barely had a sip that night, unlike Johnny who had hit the liquor hard after Daniel’s little outburst. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He hadn’t meant for it to come off the way it did. He didn’t want space from Johnny, how could he? Johnny was his best friend. His <em>only </em>friend. And maybe that shouldn’t matter, but he was tired of being overlooked by his peers, tired of being on the outside looking in, tired of mattering to only a chosen few. He threw a huge house party and yet nobody paid him any mind. Dutch didn’t even give him a hard time! Even the school bully can’t give him any attention. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was tired of being invisible and he just didn’t know how to make Johnny understand that without sounding like an asshole.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look, I didn’t mean it like that,” Daniel began, worrying his lower lip anxiously. “But I--” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then what did you mean?” Johnny demanded, cutting him off. “Because you and I?” He gestured between the two of them. “That’s all I’ve ever needed, Daniel. You know, you write up this stupid list of all the things you wanted to do before school ends and all I have done is help you accomplish the shit. And yet it’s never enough for you. <em> I’m </em> never enough for you.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Johnny, come on--” Daniel tried, but Johnny wasn’t listening.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I never cared about being popular,” Johnny continued. “About getting the girl or being seen. All I ever wanted was you. And you just . . . you <em> couldn’t </em>see it.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Johnny,” Daniel whispered, chest tight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny took a step forward standing so close to Daniel that he could pick out every fleck of gold in his blue eyes, every flicker of hurt he knew Johnny was desperately trying to hide, making the guilt rise higher and his chest feel even tighter, to the point where it felt like he couldn’t breathe past the panic welling behind his sternum. “You know what the craziest thing is, Daniel?” Johnny whispered. “I might be the one that needs glasses, but you’re the one that’s blind.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel recoiled, face twisting in angry confusion.“What is <em> that </em> supposed to mean?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something passed through Johnny’s eyes, so quick that Daniel didn’t even have time to catch it before it disappeared, settling into a bitter amusement that made Daniel’s heart sink to his knees. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny shook his head, chuckling darkly as he took a step back and then another one and then another one until he created so much space, Daniel feared he’d never be able to bridge the deep chasm that had opened up between them. “Think it over when you’re getting ready for prom. I heard Ali <em>fucking </em> Mills still doesn’t have a date.” Johnny told him, pulling his car door open. He slammed it shut before Daniel could say another word, peeling out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires and loose asphalt, leaving Daniel standing there, at a complete loss. </p>
<p><br/>“What the <em>hell </em> just happened?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know. I know okay, I get it. I suck. I'm sorry! But the pain train won't let forever! Do you really think I'd make you all suffer for very much longer? </p>
<p>If you do want to suffer, then please check out my latest fic "Moments of Gold and Flashes of Light" because that is a pain train that just keeps on going! It's slow in the beginning but picks up quickly enough. At least I hope it does. </p>
<p>One more chapter until the end. See you next week.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Top Five Ways To Get What You Want</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's my birthday! Please enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the day of prom finally arrived, Daniel felt miserable. His stomach was twisting and churning every which way and he thought, for a brief moment, he wound up with some bug or virus. That would be his luck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His mom had been adamant about him getting out of the house, to get fresh air, and that it was all just from the excitement of tonight. She still had no idea that Johnny was angry with him. He didn’t know how to explain it to her, simply because Daniel didn’t understand why either.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The whole thing was a big mess and he felt himself slowly beginning to lose his mind over it. The fact that he couldn’t last a few days not speaking to Johnny was telling, though he didn’t have an answer for that either. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel felt completely out of his element, calling Johnny repeatedly just to see if he would pick up. He had thought about going to his house, using the key to let himself in, but he wasn’t sure what he would face if he did that. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So instead he suffered in silence, putting on the blue suit that his father had worn to his own prom, and smiled at all the pictures his mom took. When she brought up Johnny, he lied and said he would have to pick him up since his own mom wanted pictures and all that mungo jumbo. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucille was kind enough to let him have the car for the night, meaning Daniel didn’t have to ride his bike to the school. Having a prom at the school wasn’t the most luxurious experience, but they decorated it nicely enough. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel shuffled around until he found a spot, searching the area in hopes of Johnny showing his face. Even if they weren’t on the best terms, this had been something they were waiting for. Bailing out now just because Daniel was an idiot and put his foot in his mouth was cowardly and Johnny was anything but a coward. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel had tried to make himself feel better in the car, consistently making up lists in his head to make this whole night a little less pathetic. So far it was <em> Top Five Things Daniel Would Do Without Johnny</em>, <em> Top Five Reasons Johnny Lawrence Is The Worse</em>, and <em> Top Five Ways Daniel Would Kick Johnny’s Ass If He Had The Chance. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Every single list was unfinished because despite being pissed at the guy, Daniel couldn’t find it in himself to hate him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel found a seat in the corner, watching as all the other girls and guys danced around, enjoying the flashing lights and bubbly music. Shannon approached him suddenly, plopping down in the chair beside him. He had counted fourteen songs, maybe fifteen or it could have been thirteen and he had been so lost in his head that he completely blacked out for a little while. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon had on a black sequined dress that fell above her knee with her hair crimped in such a way she could give Madonna a run for her money. She offered him a cup of punch and a half-smile. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s not spiked. The teachers are guarding the bowl.” She confessed as she took her own sip. “So no Johnny?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks. And no, I don’t think he’s coming.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shit. I was hoping he’d show up,” Shannon said, disappointed. She pulled a notebook that Daniel had completely missed out from underneath her arm and held it out to him. “Do you think you could give this to him? He left it in study hall.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Johnny doesn’t have study hall,” Daniel said confusedly, taking the notebook from her hands. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He spent his lunch period there this week,” Shannon explained, taking a sip of her punch. “Anyway, he left this behind and I haven’t had a chance to give it back to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel had seen the book time and time again. It wasn’t a regular notebook, but rather one of those leatherbound journals most popular to use as diaries. Johnny didn’t have a diary, but he did have a log to keep their list in. Daniel began flipping through it, admiring the precision in Johnny’s handwriting as he went through some of their favorites.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry for whatever fight you two had,” Shannon said suddenly, prompting Daniel to look up at her in confusion. “Breakups can be hard,” She continued. “I mean, that’s literally why people write songs about them, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I guess,” Daniel mumbled, looking around the room once more, hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar head of blond hair. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it, though,” Shannon said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You’re sweet enough. I’m sure you’ll find somebody else. I mean really, who even ends up with their high school sweetheart?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My parents did,” Daniel admitted, pausing when Shannon’s words repeated in his head, causing all the gears to shift until he finally realized what it was she meant. “<em> Wait. </em> Shannon, Johnny, and I weren’t together.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon’s mouth twisting behind her glass, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Seriously? It’s cool, Daniel. I’m not like the rest of the judgemental assholes here,” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re not like that, Shannon.” Daniel insisted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon’s eyes gave him a quick once over, tipping her cup back as she drank her punch slowly, almost pointedly. “Right.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not gay.” Daniel moved in closer, lowering his voice as he leaned to speak. “Johnny isn’t gay.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon met him the rest of the way, speaking comedically quietly. “Yes, he is.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, he’s not.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Yes</em>, he is.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How would you know?” Daniel asked, annoyed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Because he told me,” Shannon said with a careless shrug, leaning back in her seat. “The summer before high school, we were all invited to a party at Jimmy’s house--Dutch, Bobby, Johnny, even Ali and her friends--and we wound up playing seven minutes in heaven and I was pushed into the closet with Johnny. I waited for him to do something but he sort of just froze. He told me that night not to take it personally because he prefers boys over girls.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel wanted her to be lying. Wanted her to say something else or laugh in his face for actually believing in such a story. But the more Daniel thought about it, the more it made sense. Johnny had been friends with the popular kids before Daniel arrived before he had his glasses. But he kept circling back to the one question:<em> why </em>would he tell Shannon something that he hadn’t even told him?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did you honestly not know?” Shannon asked, earning a small head shake from Daniel. She sighed, drumming her nails on the table. “Shit. I really thought you would have known. Fuck I thought you guys were dating but we're keeping it on the down-low.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We weren’t,” Daniel confessed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Who gave you the hickey then?” She asked, her eyes widening when he didn’t give a response. “So you weren’t dating but you let him bite your neck? <em> Geez, </em> Daniel.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It wasn’t like that!” Daniel swore. He looked around, shifting his seat closer to hers. “We were practicing okay?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For what? The marching band?” Shannon asked dryly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For sex!” Daniel admitted a little too loudly. “We wanted to be ready for when the real deal happened.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And Johnny wasn’t real enough?” Shannon asked, suddenly somber. When Daniel didn’t answer, she sighed, tapping her nails against her cup. “Look, I don’t know what your deal is but if I can say something as an outsider? If you’re comfortable enough to let him touch you, why wouldn’t you want more?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “More? </em>” Daniel repeated dumbly. He shook his head, falling back into his seat as his stomach twisted up again. “You wouldn’t understand.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe not but I can see how much he cares about you. He’s your best friend, Daniel.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My <em>only </em>friend,” Daniel grumbled. And then, remembering the last week, he added, “Or at least he <em> was </em>.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It seemed odd knowing that he had gone through high school with only one person by his side. Sure, some people were decent to him, like Shannon and Bobby, but it had always just been the two of them. And now he was going to have to embark on a life without Johnny in it and the whole thing just made his world feel so off-kilter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon sighed heavily, shifting in her seat until she was facing him properly “Look, I’m a virgin. Surprising since Dutch swears to God that he got a piece of this in tenth grade, but I haven’t even been on a date.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why would you let people think that then?” Daniel asked curiously.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Because it doesn’t matter!” Shannon said, exasperatedly. “We are in high school, Daniel! We’re seventeen! None of this is going to matter in ten years and the people who think it does are the ones who are missing out on life.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can’t honestly say you’re okay with people calling you names and thinking you’re some kind of low life,” Daniel said, disbelief coloring his tone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon shrugged. “The people who care about me know differently. And that’s all that matters. And Johnny cares about you, Daniel. A lot. These people?” She said, gesturing to the room around them. “They don’t mean a thing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hi, Daniel,” a voice said from behind them, interrupting them and causing both to turn their heads towards the sound. Ali stood a vision in pink, her dark blonde curls swept up into an elegant up-do that emphasized her delicate neck, the line of her throat. A few loose tendrils framed her pretty face, brushing against her flushed cheeks. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, Ali,” Daniel greeted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her blue eyes flickered between him and Shannon curiously, but her eyes settled on him and the smile she gave him was as bright and glittering as the disco ball spinning over the middle of the dance floor, but for the first time in the history of Daniel knowing Ali Mills, it did nothing for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Would you like to dance?” Ali asked, tucking one of her loose strands of hair behind her ear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel looked between both girls, with Shannon lifting her hands, gesturing her release of him. Daniel stood, pausing as Shannon grabbed his arm, tugging him down to whisper into his ear. “Please don’t tell him I told you. I can deal with the rest of the school hating me but Johnny had always been a sweetheart.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel nodded, giving her a parting smile before he followed Ali onto the dance floor. He moved robotically, wrapping his arms around her waist as she rested her hands on top of his shoulders. A song was playing, but Daniel didn’t know it. Or maybe he did. He wasn’t really paying attention.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m glad you came tonight. Are you having fun?” Ali asked with a smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Huh?” Daniel muttered distractedly. “Oh yeah. It’s a blast,” he told her, looking over her head for his continuous search for Johnny.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If Ali noticed his spaciness, she didn’t comment or call him on in it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did you vote for class royalty yet? I have money on Bobby for prom king.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And you’ll be his queen?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ali was the most popular girl in school. She was friendly, kind, and smart. She was the type of person Daniel used to dream about. The same type that wouldn’t look his way whenever he wished they would.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now she was dancing with him instead of any other guy in the school and he couldn’t help but wonder: <em> what gives? </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If that’s what the class of ‘89 wants,” Ali replied demurely. “Are you okay? You seem a little out of it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Okay, so maybe she did notice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel shot his eyes back to hers, offering her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’m just a little confused.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ali tilted her head, eyebrows furrowing. “About what?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“About why you asked me to dance,” He confessed. “We aren’t exactly friends. We don’t really belong to the same circles, you know. You never really . . . noticed me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I feel like that’s my fault,” Ali admitted sheepishly. At his confused look, she explained, “High school has been such a rush but I kind of miss being able to hang out with people who like different things,” She sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends but sometimes I want to talk about something other than school and makeup and cheerleading, you know?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Do you like music?” Daniel asked, mentally slapping himself for how dumb he sounded. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But Ali just smiled brightly, nodding her head. “I do!” She responded eagerly. “My favorites are Madonna and Air Supply.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel snorted but sobered when Ali swatted his chest playfully. “Sorry,” Daniel said, not meaning it one bit. “Johnny hates Air Supply so I don’t get to listen to them very often.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ali hummed, glancing around the room. “Where is Johnny, anyway? I didn’t see you walk in together,”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh um, he couldn’t make it. Family obligation.” Daniel lied smoothly. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll have to thank him on Monday then,” Ali said, giving him a smile</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank him for what?” Daniel asked, puzzled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For this,” she said, stepping closer into his hold. “He was the one who suggested I dance with you,” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel stopped his swaying then, his hands falling limp at her waist. “What?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I talked to him Tuesday afternoon,” Ali explained. “I asked him if he wanted to go to prom since my date sort of bailed on me and he suggested I ask you instead.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He told you to ask me?” Daniel asked, confusion deepening. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I didn’t get to see you much this week because of finals so I never got around to it,” Ali said, voice apologetic. “But I figured a dance would suffice.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel took a slow breath in and a slow breath out, trying to resist the urge to break away from Ali and ram his head into the nearest available hard surface until he bled out all over the floor. How was it, that even in a moment where they hadn’t been speaking, Johnny could still look out for Daniel? That he could still go out of his way to try and make Daniel happy when Daniel couldn’t do the same for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Daniel?” Ali asked, finally noticing that he had stopped moving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ali, don’t take this the wrong way,” Daniel said. “But I have to go.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re awesome,” Daniel assured, smiling at her. “And you’re going to be a kickass doctor but right now there is somewhere I need to be.” Breaking away from her hold, Daniel dug his keys from the pocket of his dress pants and hurried out of the school, pausing only to grab Johnny’s journal off the table and give a hasty goodbye to Shannon in the process. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He drove directly to the mansion, going through the journal at every single stoplight. There were an array of lists that Daniel had never seen before, all of which were Johnny originals. All of which were centered around him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Top Five Birthday Gifts To Give Daniel, Top Five Ways To Make Daniel Smile, Top Five Albums To Introduce To Daniel.  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And then he saw it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Top Five Things To Do Before Going To College </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><strike>Have My First Kiss (With Daniel)</strike></li>
<li><strike>Go On A Date (With Daniel)</strike></li>
<li><strike>See (Daniel) Without My Glasses </strike></li>
<li>Go To Prom (With Daniel)</li>
<li>Tell Daniel The Truth </li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>Nearly all of them were crossed out, except for the last two. Daniel groaned, tossing the journal down in the passenger seat. He slammed his head repeatedly on the steering wheel until the light turned green. When he arrived at the mansion, he took the steps two at a time. Using the key Johnny had given him he ran inside, searching every room on the bottom level. The car was out front, parked in its usual space so he had to be there. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Running up the stairs, dancing, throwing himself into Johny’s bedroom, finding him sitting on his bed, headphones on, music blasting in his ears. The burgundy jacket that Johnny had planned to wear to prom was hanging by his dresser, completely untouched from when he first bought it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny was lying on his bed and he looked up briefly at Daniel’s entrance before flicking back down to the comic in his hands. He did, at least, take his headphones off. “A blue suit?” He asked with a raised brow.  “Kind of tacky don’t you think?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think it brings out my eyes,” Daniel told him, feeling a little breathless. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shouldn’t you be at prom?” Johnny asked, his tone bored as he kept his eyes on his comic book. He had his glasses on, pushing them up to his nose casually. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This is more important,” Daniel admitted, approaching the bed carefully. He lifted the journal for emphasis before tossing it to Johnny, who snatched it before it could hit the bed. “Shannon gave me that,” He added when Johnny didn’t say anything. “You left it in study hall.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks,” Johnny said, tone dismissive.“Close the door on your way out.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel swallowed hard, their heartbeat fluttering against his sternum. “Tell me,” Daniel requested softly. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tell you what?” Johnny replied, disinterested. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Your list,” Daniel said, gesturing to the closed notebook. “It says: <em> tell Daniel the truth,” </em>Taking a shaky breath, Daniel repeated, “Tell me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There isn’t anything to tell,” Johnny insisted stubbornly, blue eyes hard behind his glasses.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So you’d keep it a secret from me?” Daniel asked, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Some secrets are meant to be kept,” Johnny replied, pushing up from the bed, tossing his comic onto his dresser. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Johnny,” Daniel whispered in earnest. “Look, I already know. But I want to hear from you. How long have you known?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny sighed, going to lean back against the dresser, his arms crossing over his chest, a defensive gesture if Daniel had ever seen one. “My whole life,” he admitted finally. “I’ve always known. From the day I could even distinguish the difference between boys and girls, I knew I preferred one over the other.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You could have told me,” Daniel insisted, stepping deeper into the room and Johnny, by default. “I wouldn’t have judged you.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know you wouldn’t have,” Johnny assured, running his hands through his hair, mussing up the soft blonde strands that Daniel ached to fix.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then why keep it a secret from me? Why tell Shannon and not me?” Daniel asked, desperate to <em>understand. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shannon was different. She understood what it's like to be an outsider.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And I didn’t?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How could I tell you, Daniel?” Johnny asked helplessly, blue eyes sad. “Everything would have changed.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nothing would have changed,” Daniel said softly, surely. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, it would.” Johnny sighed tiredly. “And I didn’t want it to. I wanted us to be that dynamic duo for as long as I could hold onto it. I figured once we got to college I would meet new people and be able to get over…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Over what?” Daniel couldn’t help but ask. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Over the fact that I had a crush on my best friend,” Johnny said, swallowing heavily. <em> “The: tell Daniel the truth </em>on the list wasn’t just for me to come out. It was for me to tell you that since the day we met I’ve been . . . I had a plan. Go to UCLA. Find my bearings. Meet new people. And then when I found somebody else, I would tell you how I felt and we’d laugh about it because how fucking pathetic is it to be in love with your best friend? But then you suggested we mess around and everything went to shit.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny shook his head, taking the comic book off his dresser, placing it back into the box he had it organized in. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s my own fault. I took advantage of the situation, of you. I got too comfortable and when it all blew up in my face…” Johnny sighed, looking up and over at Daniel. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was trying to put space between us. Realizing that you’d never feel the same was a hard pill to swallow, Danny.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I never said I didn’t feel the same,” Daniel told him, the words leaving his mouth before he could process them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny shrugged, looking down again. “You never said you did.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was right. Daniel never thought of his feelings for Johnny, mostly because he didn’t think he had to. Those feelings had lingered for as long as he could remember because from the point of them moving to California and him trying to start up again after his dad died, Johnny had always been there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel and Johnny. Johnny and Daniel. Daniel had gotten so used to it being the two of them he never thought there could be more than there already was. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wasn’t even aware of that as an option even when he had Johnny down on his knees for him or vice versa.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel didn’t know what his sexuality was. He liked girls and he liked pretty guys. He would hang the moon for Val Kilmer and Bo Derek. He liked Ali, he really did or maybe he told himself he did because the blond hair and blue eyes were a perfect replacement for the one person he didn’t know he was allowed to want. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t give you some grand speech,” Daniel said finally, heart racing. “To be honest I don’t even really know what I am but this past week has been hell without you. It’s like my heart has blue balls or something man.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Very poetic,” Johnny said, sarcasm thick. “Did you write that in your final essay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Would you just listen a second? I’m trying to confess something all right?” Daniel sighed, before continuing. “Ali asked me to dance.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. “How was it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All I could do was look for you,” Daniel admitted. “Prom--it was meant to be <em>our </em>night but it was pointless without you. You’re right, okay? I was blind. This entire time I have been building up this dream life where I was popular and had everything and it turns out, I already had the best thing of all and that was you.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel moved in closer, placing his hands on Johnny’s shoulders to keep him from looking away. “I don’t care if I am invisible, Johnny. You’re the only person I want to see me anyway.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny did look away then, his face turning red as he tried to puff out his chest and act like he didn’t care. “You can’t just...you’re not gay, Daniel.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If loving you makes me gay then I’m gay!” Daniel shouted, uncaring if anyone heard him. “I’ll get a fucking pride flag, put a rainbow sticker on my ass. Whatever you want so long as you stop hating me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I never hated you, Danny,” Johnny whispered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, I hated me,” Daniel amended. “I hated myself for being so dumb and blind that I couldn’t even see what was standing right in front of me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel kissed him then, hard and sloppy as he clenched his fists into Johnny’s tee shirt. For a brief moment, it felt like Johnny was going to give in but the blond pulled away, taking a step back. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can’t just say that shit, dammit!” Johnny snapped, eyes flashing with anger and hurt. “You don’t get to say that you missed me and you love me and all that other shit.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I did! And I do!” Daniel insisted, moving back into Johnny’s personal space. “Want me to say it again? I love you. Italian? <em> Ti Amo</em>. Czech? <em> Miluji tě </em>. I say it in whatever language you want me to.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny’s expression softened, his hands gripping the front of Daniel’s shirt as he swallowed hard. “How do you know how to say that in Czech?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You think I don’t listen to you and your mom when you speak? I know how to read a translation book.” Daniel said, taking Johnny’s hand in his own. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you forgive me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s not about forgiving you, Daniel. Look, I don’t want you to grow comfortable with us and then you go run off with the first girl who gives you attention.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That won’t happen,” Daniel swore. “Look! I’m here! I left Ali fucking Mills on the dance floor so I could be here with you. Shit, I don’t even know if I’ve ever really liked her!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny snorted, rolling his eyes dramatically. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Blond hair, blue eyes, great smile.” Daniel listed, counting down on his fingers. “Smart, funny, kind. Sound familiar?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So what? Were you just projecting onto her?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I thought I had to be with a girl. I didn’t even know you were an option until you were dangling in front of me.” Daniel confessed, clenching Johnny’s shirt in his hands once more. “You’re it, John. The only attention I want is yours.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You don’t know that, Danny.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, I do. Take a chance on me, all right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re going to quote ABBA to me?” Johnny demanded incredulously, but Daniel could see that he was hiding a smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The fact that you even got that reference proves you’ve listened to the album,” Daniel concluded. “I know I’ve been a terrible friend but let me make it up to you by being a great boyfriend.” He pleaded,  tilting his head back to look into Johnny’s eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny was biting his lip, blinking hard as he tried to rethink everything that was going on. Daniel wouldn’t have blamed him if he decided to shut it all down and tell Daniel he never wanted to see him again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But then he felt Johnny’s hands at his waist, a reluctant sigh leaving his lips. “You’re a thorn in my side, Larusso.” He muttered quietly, a whisper of a smile on his lips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wouldn’t want to be anything less,” Daniel told him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel kissed him again, this time with better aim and precision. And when Johnny kissed him back, it felt like the stars had aligned and everything was finally right with the world. And there might have been an REO Speedwagon song playing in the background, but Daniel was a little too distracted to care. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Daniel was sure he could write a million Top Five list on this very subject (<em> Top Five Favorite Things About Johnny Lawrence, Top Five Ways to Be A Good Boyfriend To Johnny, Top Five Ways to Tell Johnny He Loved Him </em>) Daniel decided right now that kissing Johnny was the only thing he wanted to do. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And while he may not have lost his virginity on prom night, he got something better. The promise of a bright future with the man of his dreams by his side. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And who could ask for more?</p>
<p><br/>After graduation, however . . . <em> that </em>was a different story.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Holy shit! Can you believe it's the end? </p>
<p>Well, not really the end. I promise there is more to come! Look out for the sequel coming soon! Until then, please tell me what you thought down in the comments. This has honestly been such a whirlwind for me and I am thankful for each and every one of you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>